Cyclosporine shows continued improvement in dry eye symptoms over 2 years

Dry eye symptoms improved in patients treated with cyclosporine and worsened in patients who discontinued cyclosporine, according to a poster presented at the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology.

"Cyclosporine-treated patients showed continued improvements in dry eye parameters over a 2-year period," Sanjay Rao, MD, reported. "Patients using cyclosporine worsened after discontinuing treatment."

The prospective randomized study included 22 patients using artificial tears for 12 months who instilled cyclosporine twice daily for 12 months. Eight patients on cyclosporine were randomized to artificial tears twice daily. Twenty patients on cyclosporine were randomized to continued use of cyclosporine twice daily.

Study data showed that the first group had significantly better outcomes in goblet cells, Schirmer testing, tear breakup time and the Ocular Surface Disease Index than the second or third groups. The difference was statistically significant (P < .001). Goblet cells improved by 18% in the first group, worsened by 8.4.% in the second group and improved by 5.7% in the third group. The outcomes in the second group were significantly worse than in the third group for all measures (P < .001).