Hormonal anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic ocular drugs and their use (review of the literature)

Recent reports have shown a worldwide increase of allergic diseases during the past 10-20 years. One of the risk factors of allergic diseases is atmospheric pollution. Ocular allergic disorders contain 2-15 percents of all allergic diseases. Corticosteroids have been useful in control of inflammatory and immunologic diseases of the eye. The anti-inflammatory effects of corticosteroids are nonspecific and they inhibit inflammation without regard to cause. Topical therapy is effective in anterior segment of eye. New modes of delivering a drug to the eyes are being actively explored. Formulation characteristics markedly increase drug residence time in the eye and absorption. The difficulty for drugs to penetrate through the cornea is combined with their rapid removal through the tear system and their dilution by reflex tearing.