RP patients benefit from dorzolamide

Patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) could benefit from continued treatment with a topical form of carbonic anhydrase inhibitor, according to a study published online ahead of print in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Gerald Fishman and Marsha Apushkin from the University of Illinois, Chicago, USA, enrolled eight patients with RP and foveal cystic-appearing lesions, as observed on fundus examination and by optical coherence tomography (OCT), to be treated with a topical form of carbonic anhydrase inhibitor (dorzolamide).

The results showed that each patient demonstrated a significant reduction in foveal thickness (FT) and foveal zone thickness (FZT) in at least one eye after applying 2% dorzolamide three times a day for one or two months. Six patients demonstrated an improvement in both eyes. After six to 13 months of the same treatment regimen, of the six patients who showed a sustained reduction in FT and FZT in at least one eye, four demonstrated this reduction in both eyes. Of the eight patients, three showed an improvement in visual acuity of seven letters or more in at least one eye.

The authors concluded that patients with RP could benefit from treatment with a topical form of carbonic anhydrase inhibitor.