Treatment of Ocular Pyogenic Granuloma With Topical Timolol

Pyogenic granulomas, acquired vascular lesions, form on the ocular or palpebral surface related to inflammation from chalazia, trauma, or surgery. They can be unsightly, spontaneously bleed, and cause irritation to patients.

A case series is presented of 4 consecutive children with acquired ocular surface pyogenic granulomas treated at Boston Children's Hospital from 2014 to 2016 with only topical timolol, 0.5%, twice daily for a minimum of 21 days. In all cases, complete resolution occurred within the treatment period with no recurrence for at least 3 months. There were no adverse effects from the timolol during follow-up.

This case series of 4 children, while limited to no greater than 12 weeks of follow-up and without control children, suggests that ocular surface pyogenic granulomas respond to topical timolol treatment, which has a lower adverse-effect profile than conventional topical steroid treatments or other medical or surgical therapies. If confirmed in larger studies with longer follow-up and controls, this may be the desired treatment modality.