Lack of ocular side effects after 2 years of topical steroids for allergic rhinitis.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate ocular side effects in children with allergic rhinitis taking chronic intermittent nasal corticosteroids.

Methods: The study group included 150 children who had used intermittent intranasal budesonide for more than 2 years for allergic rhinitis. Ninety patients who were newly diagnosed as having allergic rhinitis without any treatment comprised the control group. Central corneal thickness, Schirmer test results, visual acuity, intraocular pressure, cataract formation, keratometry, and tear break-up time were compared in the two groups.

Results: The ages of the 150 study patients (85 boys) were between 8 and 15 years. The average age (± standard error of the mean [SEM]) was 11.7 ± 0.7 years and the mean (± SEM) steroid dosage used was 93.3 ± 7.0 μg daily with 42.2 ± 3.2 g total steroid use during treatment. The ages of the 90 control patients (54 boys) were between 7 and 15 years. There was no statistically significant difference between the study and control groups according to ocular findings (P > .05). Eye functions including cataract formation, corneal ectasia, ocular hypertension or glaucoma, and dry eye were not observed in any of the patients in the study group and were not correlated with total steroid dosage (r = 0.125, P = .447).

Conclusion: A 2-year treatment of children with allergic rhinitis prescribed intermittent intranasal budesonide at an average daily dose of approximately 100 μg is not associated with ocular side effects such as cataract, glaucoma, corneal ectasia, and abnormal tear function.