Short-term use of inhaled and intranasal corticosteroids is not associated with glaucoma progression on optical...

To compare the changes in retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness and optic nerve cup/disc ratio on optical coherence tomography (OCT) between users and nonusers of inhaled and intranasal corticosteroids (ICS).

Retrospective study of participants with glaucoma or glaucoma suspect having 2 or more OCTs during a 6-year period. The rates of change in Stratus OCT fast RNFL thickness scan and fast optic disc scan data were compared between ICS users and nonuser controls using random coefficient models.

A total of 170 participants met the inclusion criteria, of whom 42 (25%) were ICS users and 128 (75%) were controls. The mean duration of follow-up was 3.2 years. There were no significant differences in the mean rates of change in superior RNFL (-0.8874 µm/y ICS users; -0.8592 µm/y controls; p=0.943), nasal RNFL (-0.0529 µm/y ICS users; -0.3577 µm/y controls; p=0.419), inferior RNFL (0.2703 µm/y ICS users; -0.1910 µm/y controls; p=0.165), and temporal RNFL (-0.3618 µm/y ICS users; -0.3612 µm/y controls; p=0.998) between ICS users and controls. There were no significant differences in the mean rates of change in horizontal cup/disc ratio (-0.0047 µm/y ICS users; 0.0002 µm/y controls; p=0.212) and vertical cup/disc ratio (0.0013 µm/y ICS users; 0.0029 µm/y; p=0.717) between ICS users and controls.

We found no significant difference in the rates of RNFL or optic nerve cup/disc ratio progression among individuals with glaucoma or glaucoma suspect following short-term ICS use.