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Clinician: Preservative may cause more severe reactions in some glaucoma patients
BOSTON — Benzalkonium chloride is an important preservative in many glaucoma medications, but it can also lead to negative ocular allergic responses in some glaucoma patients, a physician said.
 Christophe Baudouin |
"Preserved solutions can result in inflammatory responses," Christophe Baudouin, MD, PhD, said at a symposium sponsored in part by Alcon at the World Glaucoma Congress here. "Chronic inflammation can lead to fibrosis and scarring."
Contact dermatitis and allergic blepharitis have been observed as reactions to benzalkonium chloride in some patients, he said. Such symptoms can lead to a toxicity chain that can affect all aspects of glaucoma therapy, from poor compliance to potential IOP results.
Dr. Baudouin advised physicians to carefully observe patients who might be sensitive to the preservative, including those who have pre-existing dry eye syndrome, had previous surgery or receive multiple medications.