Efficacy of monotherapy with either Bimatoprost or Travoprost in patients who are resistant to Latanoprost therapy in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma

This prospective study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of monotherapy with either bimatoprost or travoprost in patients who are resistant to latanoprost therapy in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG).During March 2009 to March 2010, 40 patients with POAG receiving therapy with topical latanoprost at Gaziantep University Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology were chosen to participate in this study. The decision to stop latanoprost therapy in these patients was made either due to the fact that they were resistant to therapy or afurther decrease in their intraocular pressure (IOP) needed to be obtained of the 40 patients, 20 were chosen to receive monotherapy with bimatoprost and 20 were chosen to receive monotherapy with travoprost. Patients were observed for 6 months with follow-up at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months and 6 months.For the group of patients receiving therapy with bimatoprost; the average decrease in IOP was measured at 1 week (2.05 mmHg), 1 month (2.25 mmHg), 3 months (1.90 mmHg) and 6 months (2.40 mmHg). For the group of patients receiving therapy with travoprost; the average decrease in IOP was measured at 1 week (1.47 mmHg), 1 month (1.75 mmHg), 3 months (1.42 mmHg) and 6 months (1.27 mmHg).At the end of 6 months, there were no significant changes observed in the mean deviation and central corneal thickness for both therapy groups.Conjunctival hyperemisave, ocular irritation was the most common side effect observed for both groups with the bimatoprost therapy group showing higher values than the travoprost group.For patients resistant to latanoprost therapy, prior to any adjuvant therapy, monotherapy with either bimatoprost, a prostamide, or travoprost, a prostaglandin analogue, has been shown to be effective at lowering IOP.