Surgical management of pterygium is known to initiate an inflammatory process with different levels of intensity. Corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory agents used to reduce the inflammatory process observed after surgical interventions including after pterygium surgery. However, use of topical corticosteroids can induce an elevation in intraocular pressure (IOP) due to a reduction in the facility of aqueous outflow.
Loteprednol etabonate (LE) was designed to maintain the anti-inflammatory efficiency of corticosteroids while lowering the risk of inducing IOP elevation. LE showed less effect on IOP than Prednisolone Acetate. This probably occurs due to lower levels of LE in the aqueous humor.
Some trials compare LE to other corticosteroids or placebo in treatments of the anterior uveitis, allergic conjunctivitis and cataract surgery. To our knowledge, there are no trials studying the effect of LE on IOP after pterygium surgery.
