ABSTRACT
A survey of practicing ophthalmologists in the Netherlands over a three month period assessed the incidence of ocular side effects associated with the use of ocular beta-blockers. A total of 328 ophthalmologists participated, representing 70% of the practitioners in the Netherlands. During the study, 34 patients (mean age: 71.3 yrs) reported ocular side effects during beta-blocker use for a median duration of 14 months (range: 1 to 144 months). Five patients were also on concurrent ocular glaucoma agents. Clinical improvement occurred in all followed patients (28) after discontinuation of the drug or change in drug therapy. The most frequently reported side effects involved the eyelids (44%) as periorbital dermatitis or blepharitis, the conjunctiva (21%), or both (23%). Four patients (12%) experienced cornea1 involvement as punctate keratitis. However, no cases of uveitis were observed. The ocular medications most commonly cited included timolol (12 cases), levobunolol ( 9 , betaxolol (4), metiprano101 (4), carte0101 (3), and bufenolol (1). The calculated incidence of ocdas side effects associated with topical beta-blockers was 1.51 cases per 1000 patient years. Calculated incidence rates (cases/1000 patient years) for different beta-blockers ranged from 0.82 for betaxolol to 5.24 for bufenolol.
