Effect of nepafenac eye drops on intraocular pressure: a randomized prospective study.

Purpose: To report the effect of nepafenac (0.1%) eye drops on intraocular pressure in eyes with cataract.

Design: Prospective randomized clinical trial.

Methods: Three hundred and twenty-seven patients with bilateral cataracts in an institutional setting were included. All patients had a baseline intraocular pressure (IOP) ≤ 21 mm Hg without a history of intraocular surgery in the past 3 months. One eye of each individual was randomized to the treatment group, with the other eye acting as a control. Nepafenac (0.1%) eye drops were instilled 3 times a day in the eye that received treatment. Intraocular pressure (IOP) with Goldmann applanation tonometer (GAT) was measured at baseline and at 4 and 8 weeks. Proportion of eyes with an IOP elevation of >4 mm Hg was the main outcome measure.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 45.7 ± 4.4 years. Participants included 192 female and 135 male patients. The mean IOP at baseline in the treated and control eyes was, respectively, 13.8 ± 2.5 mm Hg and 13.4 ± 3.0 mm Hg, which reduced to 12.0 ± 2.0 mm Hg and 12.1 ± 1.5 mm Hg, respectively, at the end of 8 weeks. This reduction in IOP in both groups was significant (P < .01). The difference between the IOP in the treated and control eyes at 8 weeks was not statistically significant (P = .34). One eye in the treated group and 2 eyes in the control group had an IOP elevation of >4 mm Hg.

Conclusion: Nepafenac eye drops do not increase the IOP. They can possibly be used as an alternative to steroid medications where steroid responsiveness is a concern.