Prostaglandin F2 alpha-isopropylester eye drops: effect on intraocular pressure in open-angle glaucoma

In 30 patients with previously untreated open-angle glaucoma an intraocular pressure (IOP) curve was taken before and during treatment with PGF2 alpha-isopropylester (PGF2 alpha-IE) eye drops in one eye. Compared with the pretreatment IOP, the PGF2 alpha-IE induced a slowly increasing reduction in IOP. Just before the first dose the IOP was 31.4 (SEM 1.6) mm Hg. When corrected for the fall in pressure observed in the fellow eye the largest reduction, 5.8 (SEM 0.7) mm Hg (p less than 0.001), was obtained 24 hours later, that is, 12 hours after the second dose. In a subgroup of 10 patients the treatment was continued for one week. In this group the final pretreatment IOP was 25.9 (SEM 1.3) mm Hg. The reduction 24 hours later was 4.5 (SEM 0.6) mm Hg (p less than 0.001). The effect was maintained and even slightly increased during the week, and on the seventh day of treatment the IOP reduction ranged between 4.8 and 7.6 mm Hg compared with the pretreatment IOP. No serious subjective or objective side effects were observed.