Therapeutic effectiveness of fluorometholone in inflammatory keratitis

During an experimentally-induced inflammatory keratitis, we measured the ability of 0.1% fluorometholone ophthalmic suspension to reduce the numbers of polymorphonuclear leukocytes that invaded the cornea. The data demonstrate that topically administered fluorometholone is an effective therapeutic agent and that it compares favorably in anti-inflammatory activity with dexamethasone and prednisolone preparations. Comparison of our results with comparable studies of dexamethasone and prednisolone formulations indicates that 1.0% prednisolone acetate ophthalmic suspension is still the most effective corneal anti-inflammatory agent that we have investigated to date. However, the decreased potential of fluorometholone to produce secondary elevation of the intraocular pressure would appear to make it the drug of choice in situations in which maximum pharmacologic suppression of inflammation is not required and in chronic inflammatory conditions that require prolonged treatment.