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Topical corticosteroids are not linked to risk of glaucoma and cataracts in patients with atopic dermatitis

A retrospective study investigated whether topical corticosteroids were associated with glaucoma or cataract development in patients with atopic dermatitis (AD). Eighty-eight patients with AD (mean age 37.2 years) involving the eyelids and periorbital eye area were included. Seven patients developed cataracts: four were age related, two were corticosteroid induced and one was AD related. No cases of glaucoma were seen. Both cases of corticosteroid-induced cataracts had used systemic corticosteroids (a total of 2110 and 6570 g). Thirty-seven out of 88 patients had used topical class III and IV corticosteroids for an average of 3.9 days/week and 6.4 months/year over a mean of 4.8 years. Long-term use of topical corticosteroids would not ...