VITREOUS NONSTEROIDAL ANTIINFLAMMATORY DRUG CONCENTRATIONS AND PROSTAGLANDIN E₂ LEVELS IN VITRECTOMY PATIENTS TREATED WITH KETOROLAC 0.4%, BROMFENAC 0.09%, AND NEPAFENAC 0.1%

Abstract

Purpose: 

To assess vitreous concentrations of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and prostaglandin E₂ in patients treated with NSAIDs before vitrectomy.

Methods: 

This was an investigator-masked, randomized, multicenter study. Patients received ketorolac 0.4% 4 times a day, bromfenac 0.09% 2 times a day, nepafenac 0.1% 3 times a day, or no NSAID for 3 days before surgery. Nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs and prostaglandin E₂ levels were determined in vitreous samples collected at the beginning of surgery.

Results: 

Thirty-one patients were included in the analyses. The mean (SD) vitreous concentrations were as follows: ketorolac 2.8 (3.2) ng/mL, bromfenac 0.96 (0.31) ng/mL, nepafenac 1.1 (0.6) ng/mL, and amfenac 2.0 (0.8) ng/mL aligned with the initial concentrations of the topical NSAIDs. Mean (SD) vitreous prostaglandin E₂ levels of the control patients and those treated with ketorolac 0.4%, bromfenac 0.09%, or nepafenac 0.1% were 270.6 (91.7) pg/mL, 189.6 (50.2) pg/mL, 247.2 (38.3) pg/mL, and 267.7 (99.7) pg/mL, respectively. Patients treated with ketorolac 0.4% had significantly lower prostaglandin E₂ levels than those treated with no NSAID (P = 0.047) or nepafenac 0.1% (P = 0.028).

Conclusion: 

All three NSAIDs penetrated into the vitreous cavity. Topical therapy with ketorolac may lower preoperative vitreous prostaglandin E₂ levels, which may have a clinical impact on the management of prostaglandin-mediated diseases, including cystoid macular edema.

In Brief

Assessments of vitreous samples from patients treated with ketorolac 0.4%, bromfenac 0.09%, or nepafenac 0.1% per the labeled regimens for 3 days before vitrectomy demonstrated that treatment with ketorolac 0.4% was associated with lower initial vitreous prostaglandin E₂ levels compared with patients who were not treated with a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug.