INCIDENCE OF CATARACT IN DERMATOLOGICAL PATIENTS USING STEROID CREAMS

Abstract

Background/ Context: Corticosteroids, despite being a very effective line of treatment for various disorders is known to have a wide range of adverse effects. The use of systemic and topical steroids has been associated with cataract formation, however the ophthalmic side effects of application of steroid on skin away from the face has not been studied in depth. With increasing use of corticosteroids as rst line of therapy in treatment of various dermatological conditions, the ocular side effects, if any, of these preparations, cannot be overlooked. Aim: To study the incidence of cataract in patients using skin preparations of corticosteroids away from the face and also to correlate the dose and duration of steroid therapy to incidence of cataract. Materials & Methods: 50 patients with dermatological disorders who were being treated with dermatological steroids, on sites other than the face and periorbital region, for a period of more than six months consisted of the study group. The study group consisted of patients in the age group of 20 – 60 years. The study was conducted over a period of two years at a tertiary care hospital. Visual acuity, Slit lamp biomicroscopy, applanation tonometryand detailed fundus examination using 90D lens were carried out. Results: The incidence of cataract was signicantly higher in patients using dermatological steroids away from the face. Prolonged duration of use of these steroids also indicated a signicantly higher incidence of cataract. However, a larger population based study needs to be carried out to study the relationship between potency of steroid and incidence of cataract, although preliminary studies indicate a denite correlation between the two. Conclusions: Despite, steroids being used away from the face, there was a denite increase in the incidence of cataract. Before coming to any rm conclusions it would be advisable to reproduce the study in a larger population. However from the present pilot study it is prudent to advocate judicious use of innocuous looking steroid creams as they can cause signicant adverse effects