title: Dorzolamide chlorhydrate versus acetazolamide in the management of chronic macular edema in patients with retinitis pigmentosa: description of three case reports.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the efficacy of topical dorzolamide for treating cystoid macular edema in patients with retinitis pigmentosa and minimize the secondary effects of maintenance therapy in patients with retinitis pigmentosa (RP) who present with chronic microcystic macular edema.
  
  
  METHODS
  To replace acetazolamide systemic treatment, with a topical treatment using 2% dorzolamide in three patients. The methods performed were OCT scan with a Spectralis HRA-OCT, for the measurement of macular thickness and morphology; best corrected visual acuity was assessed using Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS), was assessed slit-lamp biomicroscopy, ocular tonometry, fundus biomiocrosopy, and color fundus photography. This therapeutic protocol has been applied and described in three patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In all three tested patients, following the administration of dorzolamide in eye drop, we observed a remarkable decrease in macular edema, almost comparable to that obtained with acetazolamide per os.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study confirms the anti-edematogenic effect of topical dorzolamide in RP with recurring macular cysts, as this can have a favorable response with topical dorzolamide. In all the three examined patients, the instillation of topical dorzolamide caused a remarkable reduction in their macular edema, as highlighted on OCT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pacella
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Arrico
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Santamaria
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP/NIHMP), Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Turchetti
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria Rosaria
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Carbotti
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Farmacy and Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: La Torre
authors.affiliation: Department of Sense Organs, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fernanda
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pacella
keywords: acetazolamide; cystoid macular edema; dorzolamide; retinitis pigmentosa