Association between ocular herpes simplex virus and topical ocular hypotensive therapy.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate whether use of particular topical hypotensive therapies is associated with ocular herpes simplex virus (OHSV).


METHODS
This population-based, retrospective, cohort study used claims records from the Protocare Sciences managed care database (United States). Data were extracted from September 1, 1996 through June 30, 2002. An OHSV event was either a medical claim from the utilization database coded with an International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code for OHSV (ICD-9 = 054.4, 054.40-054.44, 054.49) or a pharmacy claim for vidarabine or trifluridine ophthalmic solution.


RESULTS
A total of 93,869 eligible glaucoma patients, 21 different ocular hypotensive agents, and 192,840 agent-utilizing patient combinations were identified. In all, 411 patients had an OHSV event; 272 of 411 patients had at least 1 ocular hypotensive agent dispensed prior to the OHSV event but not preceding the event by less than 7 days. Of these, 219 had only 1 ocular hypotensive agent dispensed on the last fill date prior to the OHSV event, yielding an overall OHSV event rate of 0.11%. There was no significant association between OHSV event rates and agent use for either the set of 21 agents (P = 0.260; chi2) or when 14 products having < 5% usage were combined (P = 0.058). Prevalence rates were estimated as 161 per 100,000 population for 2000 to 2001 and 165 per 100,000 for 1999 to 2001.


CONCLUSIONS
Ocular herpes simplex virus is extremely rare in patients treated with ocular hypotensive therapies, and its prevalence is similar to that found in the general population. The current analysis revealed no association between the use of particular topical ocular hypotensive therapies and OHSV.
Bean
Gerald
G
Pfizer, Inc., New York, NY, USA.
Reardon
Gregory
G
Zimmerman
Thom J
TJ
D000328:Adult; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology