Younger highly myopic patients have a higher risk of being steroid responders

Younger patients with high myopia are at more risk of a postoperative steroid response after uneventful cataract surgery, according to an investigation published in the Journal of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Dr David F. Chang et al., Los Altos, California, USA, conducted a case-control, retrospective chart review on 1642 patients who underwent uneventful cataract surgery. Patients were administered topical prednisolone acetate 1.0% postoperatively.

Ocular axial length (AL), patient age and intraocular pressure (IOP) were preoperatively recorded, 1-day postoperatively and at least once in the initial postoperative month. During this time the patients received a topical corticosteroid agent.

If the patients experienced an increase in IOP of more than 25% while receiving topical prednisolone, and this reduced by more than 25% once treatment had ceased, then they were considered to be steroid responders. The age and AL of those patients who had a steroid response and those who didn't were compared for analysis.

Out of 1642 patients, 39 were diagnosed as steroid responders. It was concluded that younger age and longer AL were linked with high steroid response risk. The results suggest steroid responders may require more IOP monitoring or topical anti-inflammatory medications.