title: Comparative clinical study of conjunctival toxicities of newer generation fluoroquinolones without the influence of preservatives.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the conjunctival epithelial toxicities of three newer-generation fluoroquinolones without preservatives.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a prospective, randomized, double blind comparative study, 47 eyes of 47 patients with a primary pterygium were enrolled, and divided randomly into three groups (levofloxacin 0.5%, gatifloxacin 0.3%, and moxifloxacin 0.5%). After pterygium surgery with the same conjunctival autograft technique, each patient maintained a regimen with a randomly assigned fluoroquinolone eye drop. Patients were examined every other day after surgery until the epithelium had completely healed. Photos were taken and used to measure the area of residual epithelial defects. Conjunctival healing time and speed (initial defect area/healing time (mm(2)/d) compared in each group using Kruskal-Wallis tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences in mean age, gender, and conjunctival defect size of the donor site between these groups. However, the mean of conjunctival healing time and speed were statistically different in each group. The mean of conjunctival epithelial healing time was 8.93±2.69d (levofloxacin group), 10.31±2.96d (gatifloxacin group), and 13.50±4.10d (moxifloxacin group), P=0.006. The mean conjuctival epithelial healing speed was 6.18±1.39 mm(2)/d (levofloxacin group), 5.52±1.68 mm(2)/d (gatifloxacin group), and 4.40±1.30 mm(2)/d (moxifloxacin group), P=0. 003.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Without the influence of preservatives, levofloxacin and gatifloxacin might be less toxic to the regeneration of conjunctival epithelial cells and cause a faster conjunctival wound healing relative to moxifloxacin.
authors.affiliation: Nune Eye Hospital, Daegu 705-817, Korea.
authors.forename: Han Sang
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kyungpook National University, School of Medicine, Daegu 700-721, Korea.
authors.forename: Jun Hun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Kyungpook National University, School of Medicine, Daegu 700-721, Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Kyun
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Kim
keywords: conjunctival epithelial toxicity; fluoroquinolone; preservatives; pterygium