Conjunctival Impression Cytology after Antiglaucoma Treatment with Travoprost with Benzalkonium Chloride Versus Travoprost with Stabilized Oxy Chloride Complex in Newly Diagnosed Primary Open Angle Glaucoma Patients Over 6 Months

AIM: Microscopic evaluation of conjunctival morphological changes with conjunctival impression cytology in case of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) treated with travoprost with Benzalkonium chloride (BAC) versus travoprost with Stabilised Oxy Chloride (SOC). METHOD: Our study involved 56 patients (112 eyes) who received antiglaucoma treatment by instillation of one drop of travoprost (0.004 %) with SOC (0.005 %) in group 1 (56 eyes of 28 patients) and travoprost with BAC (0.015 %) in group 2 (56 eyes of 28 patients) every 24 hours. Conjunctival impression cytology was carried out at baseline and after 6 months to analyze cellular density and morphologic parameters. RESULT: Conjunctival impression smears at the beginning of the study were normal in 100 % of eyes in both the groups. At the end of 6 months, 48.3 % and 82.1 % of eyes in group 1 and 2 respectively showed abnormal change in morphology and decrease in number of goblet cells on conjunctival impression study. CONCLUSION: Stabilised Oxychloro Compound preservative in Travoprost preserves the ocular surface integrity better compared to Benzalkonium chloride in the Travoprost though the adverse effects of original drug molecule could not be negated in both groups.