The Relationship between Allergic Conjunctivitis due to Brimonidine and Systemic Allergic Disease in Glaucoma Patients

Jongwook Han; Wungrak Choi; Won Seok Lee; Hyoung Won Bae; Chan Yun Kim; Gong Je Seong

doi:10.3341/jkos.2019.60.3.233

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Han, Choi, Lee, Bae, Kim, and Seong: The Relationship between Allergic Conjunctivitis due to Brimonidine and Systemic Allergic Disease in Glaucoma Patients

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2019; 60(3): 233-238.

Published online: 15 March 2019

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3341/jkos.2019.60.3.233

The Relationship between Allergic Conjunctivitis due to Brimonidine and Systemic Allergic Disease in Glaucoma Patients

Jongwook Han, MD¹, Wungrak Choi, MD¹, Won Seok Lee, MD¹, Hyoung Won Bae, MD², Chan Yun Kim, MD², Gong Je Seong, MD¹

¹Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

²Institute of Vision Research, Department of Ophthalmology, Shinchon Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.

Address reprint requests to Gong Je Seong, MD. Department of Ophthalmology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, #235 Dogok-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul 06230, Korea. Tel: 82-2-2019-2570, Fax: 82-2-312-0541, GJSEONG@yuhs.ac

Received 24 May 2018 Revised 8 August 2018 Accepted 19 February 2019

The Korean Ophthalmological Society

(open-access):

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Abstract

Purpose

Several different topical eye drop medications are used to lower the intraocular pressure of glaucoma patients. Among them, 0.1% brimonidine tartrate is commonly used and accompanies allergic conjunctivitis as a side effect. This study determined the correlation between the severity of allergic conjunctivitis arising from brimonidine eye drop use and systemic allergic disease.

Methods

A case report study of 63 selected patients diagnosed with open-angle glaucoma or normal-tension glaucoma, and developing allergic conjunctivitis due to brimonidine usage was conducted. The study surveyed patients with newly diagnosed allergic conjunctivitis in terms of allergic rhinitis, asthma, and urticaria symptoms, and a slit lamp examination was used to determine the severity of allergic conjunctivitis in the clinic, using a novel scoring system to establish correlations of interest.

Results

There was no correlation between asthma and the severity of allergic conjunctivitis (r = −0.095, p = 0.461). Allergic rhinitis showed no significant correlation with the severity of allergic conjunctivitis (r = 0.117, p = 0.361), and urticaria displayed no significant correlation with allergic conjunctivitis (r = −0.110, p = 0.389). We found no correlation in glaucoma patients between brimonidine eye drop use and the severity of allergic conjunctivitis.

Conclusions

Systemic allergic disease was not related to the severity of allergic conjunctivitis arising from the use of brimonidine eye drops, indicating that the use of these eye drops can effectively lower intra-ocular pressure even if the patient suffers from systemic allergic disease.

Keywords: Allergic, Brimonidine, Conjunctivitis, Glaucoma

Figures and Tables

Figure 1

Relationship between brimonidine and systemic allergic disease. (A) Relationship between asthma and the severity of allergic conjunctivitis (r = −0.095, p = 0.461). (B) Relationship between rhinorrhea and the severity of allergic conjunctivitis (r = 0.117, p = 0.361). (C) Relationship between urticaria and the severity of allergic conjunctivitis (r = −0.110, p = 0.389).

Table 1

Basic characteristics of patients

Values are presented as number (%) or mean ± standard deviation (range).

POAG = primary open angle glaucoma; NTG = normal tension glaucoma.

Notes

^{Conflicts of Interest} The authors have no conflicts to disclose.

Appendix

Appendix 1

A questionnaire about systemic allergic disease in glaucoma patients who stopped using brimonidine eye drops

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