Conjunctival hyperemia associated with bimatoprost use: a histopathologic study.

Abstract

To evaluate histopathologic signs of conjunctival inflammation in patients with conjunctival hyperemia induced by bimatoprost treatment. Prospective interventional study. The study included 15 eyes of 15 patients scheduled for cataract surgery. Patients in the treatment group (n = 9) exhibited trace to moderate conjunctival hyperemia when treated with bimatoprost 0.03% every day for 15 to 30 days before surgery. The control group (n = 6) included untreated patients with no ocular disease other than cataract. Conjunctival biopsies were obtained for histologic evaluation with light microscopy. Vascular congestion was observed in biopsies from 7 patients (78%) in the bimatoprost group and 5 patients (83%) in the control group. Signs of inflammation were found in biopsies from 2 patients (22%) in the bimatoprost group and 2 patients (33%) in the control group. Histopathologic signs of inflammation were no more frequent in conjunctival specimens from bimatoprost-treated patients with trace to moderate hyperemia than in those from untreated control subjects.