Topical 0.2% Loteprednol Etabonate vs. Topical 0.1% Dexamethasone in Impending Recurrent Pterygium

Overview

The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of topical 0.2% loteprednol etabonate, a 'soft steroid', compared with topical 0.1% dexamethasone, which is widely used in postoperative pterygium excision to prevent the recurrence of pterygium. If 0.2% loteprednol etabonate is non-inferior in efficacy compared with 0.1% dexamethasone, it may be used postoperatively in pterygium excision patients with the benefit of a low incidence of ocular hypertension or secondary glaucoma.

Full Title of Study: “A Randomized Clinical Trial: Comparison of the Efficacy of Topical 0.2% Loteprednol Etabonate and Topical 0.1% Dexamethasone in Impending Recurrent Pterygium”

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Treatment
    • Masking: None (Open Label)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: March 2, 2019

Detailed Description

A prospective randomized control trial was performed from October 2015 to April 2019 at the Department of Ophthalmology, Thammasat Hospital, Thailand and Panyananthaphikkhu Chonprathan Medical Center, Thailand. Subjects Patients who had pterygium excision with amniotic membrane transplantation (AMT) and who had impending recurrent pterygium stage 3 defined as fibrovascular tissue not invading the cornea were included. Then the participants were randomized into 2 groups. Both groups received subconjunctival 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) injection 5mg/0.1 mL with 27-gauge needle in the area of fibrovascular tissue, and then the eyes were irrigated with 30 mL of normal saline. 0.2% loteprednol etabonate was prescribed in group 1, and 0.1% dexamethasone (CD-oph) was prescribed in group 2 every 4-6 hours for 4 weeks. After that, the regimen was gradually decreased until cessation at 3 months. 5-FU was repeatedly injected monthly in the presence of marked inflammation and not more than 3 times to prevent complications. All patients were followed-up at 1, 3, 6, and 9 months to assess the impending recurrent pterygium severity score, intraocular pressure, complications, detection of true recurrent pterygium, and time to recurrence.

Interventions

  • Drug: 0.2% loteprednol etabonate
    • Use topical 0.2% loteprednol etabonate eyedrop every 4-6 hours for 4 weeks. After that, the regimen was gradually decreased until cessation at 3 months.
  • Drug: 0.1% dexamethasone
    • Use topical 0.1% dexamethasone eyedrop every 4-6 hours for 4 weeks. After that, the regimen was gradually decreased until cessation at 3 months.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: 0.2% loteprednol etabonate
    • This group was treated with subconjunctival 5-FU injection and topical 0.2% loteprednol etabonate every 4-6 hours for 4 weeks. After that, the regimen was gradually decreased until cessation at 3 months.
  • Active Comparator: 0.1% dexamethasone
    • This group was treated with subconjunctival 5-FU injection and topical 0.1% dexamethasone (CD-oph) every 4-6 hours for 4 weeks. After that, the regimen was gradually decreased until cessation at 3 months.

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • rate of true recurrent pterygium
    • Time Frame: 6 months
    • true recurrent pterygium is the fibrovascular tissue that invade into cornea

Secondary Measures

  • severity score of impending recurrent pterygium
    • Time Frame: 6 months
    • severity score of impending recurrent pterygium included 3 factors; redness, thickness of fibrovascular tissue, and size of fibrovascular tissue at 3 mm from limbus, which are classified into 3 grades in each factor.
  • time to recurrent of pterygium
    • Time Frame: 6 months
    • time from enrolled participants until they developed true recurrent pterygium
  • rate of steroid induced ocular hypertension
    • Time Frame: 6 months
    • number of participants in each group who had intraocular pressure > 21 mmHg

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Patients who had pterygium excision with amniotic membrane transplantation and who had impending recurrent pterygium stage 3 defined as fibrovascular tissue not invading the cornea Exclusion Criteria:

  • recurrent pterygium – received adjunctive treatment with beta radiation, mitomycin C or 5-fluorouracil – glaucoma or intraocular pressure > 21 mmHg – history of 5-fluorouracil or chloramphenicol allergy

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: 80 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • Wannisa Suphachearabhan
  • Collaborator
    • Srinakharinwirot University
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Sponsor-Investigator: Wannisa Suphachearabhan, Principal investigator – Srinakharinwirot University
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Wannisa Suphachearabhan, MD, Principal Investigator, Srinakharinwirot University

Citations Reporting on Results

Mahar PS, Manzar N. Pterygium recurrence related to its size and corneal involvement. J Coll Physicians Surg Pak. 2013 Feb;23(2):120-3.

Sherwin JC, Hewitt AW, Kearns LS, Griffiths LR, Mackey DA, Coroneo MT. The association between pterygium and conjunctival ultraviolet autofluorescence: the Norfolk Island Eye Study. Acta Ophthalmol. 2013 Jun;91(4):363-70. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.2011.02314.x. Epub 2011 Dec 16.

Yaisawang S, Piyapattanakorn P. Role of post-operative topical corticosteroids in recurrence rate after pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft. J Med Assoc Thai. 2003 Jun;86 Suppl 2:S215-23.

Hirst LW. The treatment of pterygium. Surv Ophthalmol. 2003 Mar-Apr;48(2):145-80. doi: 10.1016/s0039-6257(02)00463-0.

Kucukerdonmez C, Akova YA, Altinors DD. Comparison of conjunctival autograft with amniotic membrane transplantation for pterygium surgery: surgical and cosmetic outcome. Cornea. 2007 May;26(4):407-13. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0b013e318033b3d4.

Pikkel J, Porges Y, Ophir A. Halting pterygium recurrence by postoperative 5-fluorouracil. Cornea. 2001 Mar;20(2):168-71. doi: 10.1097/00003226-200103000-00011.

Anguria P, Ntuli S, Carmichael T. Young patient's age determines pterygium recurrence after surgery. Afr Health Sci. 2014 Mar;14(1):72-6. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v14i1.11.

Han SB, Jeon HS, Kim M, Lee SJ, Yang HK, Hwang JM, Kim KG, Hyon JY, Wee WR. Risk Factors for Recurrence After Pterygium Surgery: An Image Analysis Study. Cornea. 2016 Aug;35(8):1097-103. doi: 10.1097/ICO.0000000000000853.

Olusanya BA, Ogun OA, Bekibele CO, Ashaye AO, Baiyeroju AM, Fasina O, Ogundipe AO, Ibrahim AO. Risk factors for pterygium recurrence after surgical excision with combined conjunctival autograft (CAG) and intraoperative antimetabolite use. Afr J Med Med Sci. 2014 Mar;43(1):35-40.

Nuzzi R, Tridico F. How to minimize pterygium recurrence rates: clinical perspectives. Clin Ophthalmol. 2018 Nov 19;12:2347-2362. doi: 10.2147/OPTH.S186543. eCollection 2018.

Kim KW, Kim JC. Current approaches and future directions in the management of pterygium. Int J Ophthalmol. 2018 May 18;11(5):709-711. doi: 10.18240/ijo.2018.05.01. eCollection 2018.

Prabhasawat P, Tesavibul N, Leelapatranura K, Phonjan T. Efficacy of subconjunctival 5-fluorouracil and triamcinolone injection in impending recurrent pterygium. Ophthalmology. 2006 Jul;113(7):1102-9. doi: 10.1016/j.ophtha.2006.02.026. Epub 2006 May 26.

Makornwattana M, Suphachearaphan W. Incidence of steroid induced-ocular hypertension in postoperative pterygium excision. J Med Assoc Thai. 2015 Mar;98 Suppl 2:S151-7.

Bodor N, Buchwald P. Soft drug design: general principles and recent applications. Med Res Rev. 2000 Jan;20(1):58-101. doi: 10.1002/(sici)1098-1128(200001)20:13.0.co;2-x.

Comstock TL, Sheppard JD. Loteprednol etabonate for inflammatory conditions of the anterior segment of the eye: twenty years of clinical experience with a retrometabolically designed corticosteroid. Expert Opin Pharmacother. 2018 Mar;19(4):337-353. doi: 10.1080/14656566.2018.1439920. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

Sheppard JD, Comstock TL, Cavet ME. Impact of the Topical Ophthalmic Corticosteroid Loteprednol Etabonate on Intraocular Pressure. Adv Ther. 2016 Apr;33(4):532-52. doi: 10.1007/s12325-016-0315-8. Epub 2016 Mar 17.

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