Comparative observational analysis of clinical outcomes in patients of vernal keratoconjunctivitis treated with eye drops olopatadine or bepotastine besilate

Abstract

Objective: Observation and comparison of resolution of signs and relief of symptoms in patients of Vernal Keratoconjunctivitis (VKC) treated with 0.1% olopatadine eye drops or 1.5% bepotastine besilate eye drops. Materials and Methods: It was a prospective observational study of 60 patients of VKC from January 2018 to July 2019. Thirty confirmed cases of VKC were included in the study in each group. One group received 0.1% olopatadine eye drops and second group received 1.5% bepotastine besilate eye drops and were followed up for a period of 4 weeks. The main outcome measures were scoring and comparison of Total subjective symptom scores (TSSS) and Total objective sign scores (TOSS) within and between the groups at each follow up. Wilcoxon rank-sum test (Mann Whitney U test) was used to compare the two groups in terms of symptom and sign score at each of the time points. Friedman test was used to explore the change in score over time within each group. Generalized Estimating Equations method was used to explore the difference in change in score between the two groups over time. A p value of < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: With treatment both TSSS and TOSS decreased consistently in both groups at the end of the two week and four week follow up time points. P Value of Comparison of the Two Groups in Terms of Difference of Subjective Score Total from Baseline to Follow-up Time points was statistically significant (P<0.001). Conclusion: At the end of the study, olopatadine 0.1 % eye drops was found to be more efficacious than 1.5% bepotastine besilate eye drops both for relief of symptoms and resolution of signs.