TOPICAL LOSARTAN FOR TREATING CORNEAL HAZE: OUR FIRST OUTCOMES
Published 2025 - 29th ESCRS Winter Meeting
Reference: PO110 | Type: Free Paper | DOI: 10.82333/am0x-6f08
Authors: Valentina Berrios Dolz 1 , Carlos Rocha-de-Lossada* 2 , Marcony R Santhiago 3
1Córnea,Clinica Oftalmologica Providencia,Santiago,Chile, 2Ophthalmology Department, VITHAS Malaga, 29016 ,Malaga,Spain;Regional University Hospital of Malaga, Hospital Civil Square, 29009 ,Malaga,Spain;Qvision, Ophthalmology Department, VITHAS Almeria Hospital, 04120 ,Almeria,Spain;Surgery Department, Ophthalmology Area, University of Seville, Doctor Fedriani, 41009 ,Seville,Spain, 3Córnea,Departament of Ophthalmology, University of São Paulo,Sao Paulo,Brazil
Purpose
To report the clinical experience with topical losartan for the treatment of corneal opacity in 5 eyes.
Setting
The medication was prepared under aseptic technique and laminar air flow. The instructions were given to the patients verbally and in writing. A control appointment was made at 6 weeks for a physical examination, photographic and AS OCT recording.
Methods
Five eyes of five patients with corneal opacity were included. In four, the opacity was secondary to herpetic keratitis and 1 eye the opacity was developed as haze after PRK refractive surgery. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was recorded in decimal pre and post treatment. Off-label treatment with 50 μL topical losartan 0.8 mg/ml in balanced salt solution (BSS), pH 7.0, was used, administered 6 times per day. All patients were followed up after 6 weeks of treatment. Standardized slit lamp photographs and AS-OCT were obtained pre and post treatment, and opacity was quantitated using ImageJ.
The evaluated patients were asked about the degree of photophobia and halo in the pre- and post-treatment.
Results
The BCVA of the patient’s pretreatment ranged from 0.1 to 0.8. After 6 weeks of treatment BCVA ranged from 0.4 to 1.0. Specifically, patient 1's BCVA improved from 0.1 to 0.4, patient 2's from 0.1 to 0.5, patient 3's from 0.5 to 0.8, patient 4's from 0.1 to 0.5, and patient 5's from 0.8 to 1. All patients showed improvement in photophobia and night halos. A comparison of the OCT images showed an improvement in corneal thickness and a decrease in scar reflectivity. All corneas tended to have a decrease in ImageJ quantitated corneal opacity after treatment from 61.9, 64.4, 51.04, 30.0 and 84.5 to 59.0, 60.9, 43.8, 24.5 and 80.8, respectively.
Conclusion
0.8 mg/ml topical losartan, a transforming growth factor-b inhibitor, is a potential treatment for clinically significant corneal opacity. This clinical experience highlights the potential efficacy of topical losartan as a new therapeutic option in such cases, but further clinical studies are needed.