Topical Olopatadine Hydrochloride versus Ketotifen Fumarate for Allergic Conjunctivitis

PURPOSE: Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is associated with itching, redness, tearing, pain, and burning sensation in the eyes. The inflammatory process is caused by the mechanism of immediate hypersensitivity due to direct contact with the allergen. This process triggers mast cells in the conjunctiva to activate and release mediators. The purpose of this study was to compare topical olopatadine and ketotifen in terms of effectiveness and safety for the management of AC. METHODS: Patients clinically diagnosed with AC were randomized into two groups of 60 patients each and received either topical olopatadine HCl 0.1% or ketotifen fumarate 0.025%. They were followed up on the 4(th), 15(th), and 30(th) days to evaluate symptoms, signs, and quality of life (QOL) scoring. RESULTS: There were a total of 120 patients (67 men and 53 women) with a mean age of 36.35 ± 11 years. Compared to baseline, scores of itching, tearing, redness, eyelid swelling, chemosis and papillae addition of all the individual scores mentioned above and QOL scores reduced significantly (P = 0.001) by the 4(th) and 15(th) days of olopatadine and ketotifen application. Compared with ketotifen, olopatadine significantly reduced itching, tearing, hyperemia, and total AC scores by the 4(th) day (P = 0.001) and conjunctival papillae by the 15(th) day (P = 0.001). Adverse reactions were reported in 10% and 18% of patients treated with olopatadine and ketotifen, respectively. CONCLUSION: Compared to ketotifen, olopatadine provided quicker relief of symptoms, and improved symptoms of AC and QOL, with fewer side effects.