1. Role of Topical 5-Fluorouracil in Demodex -Associated Blepharitis.
- Author
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Amer MM, Ho JW, Theotoka D, Wall S, Galor A, Cheng A, Miller D, and Karp CL
- Subjects
- Humans, Retrospective Studies, Male, Aged, Middle Aged, Female, Aged, 80 and over, Adult, Animals, Eyelashes parasitology, Antimetabolites therapeutic use, Antimetabolites administration & dosage, Administration, Topical, Blepharitis parasitology, Blepharitis drug therapy, Blepharitis diagnosis, Fluorouracil therapeutic use, Fluorouracil administration & dosage, Mite Infestations drug therapy, Mite Infestations parasitology, Mite Infestations diagnosis, Eye Infections, Parasitic drug therapy, Eye Infections, Parasitic parasitology, Eye Infections, Parasitic diagnosis, Ophthalmic Solutions, Mites
- Abstract
Purpose: The aim of this study was to report clinical observations suggesting the efficacy of topical 1% 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) in treating Demodex -associated blepharitis., Methods: An observational retrospective review of 13 eyes from 13 individuals with conjunctival neoplastic lesions and concomitant Demodex lash infestation that received topical 1% 5-FU eye drops. Patients underwent slit-lamp examination at each follow-up visit. Clinical photographs of the lash line were obtained after treatment initiation. In a subset of patients, lashes were epilated bilaterally and microscopically analyzed for presence of Demodex mites before and after treatment initiation., Results: The mean age of the population was 68 ± 14 years (range: 30-84 years) and 92% were male. In all 13 patients, a marked reduction in cylindrical dandruff was noted in the treated eye by slit-lamp examination after 2 cycles of 5-FU. There was complete resolution of cylindrical dandruff in 10 of 13 treated eyes compared with 0 resolution of cylindrical dandruff in untreated eyes ( P = 0.0001). In the 6 patients who received epilation, the lashes from the treated eye showed no Demodex , whereas lashes from the fellow untreated eye revealed persistent Demodex ., Conclusions: Topical 1% 5-FU shows efficacy in treating Demodex -associated blepharitis. Further studies are indicated to reproduce our findings and evaluate the potential use of 5-FU as a treatment ingredient., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding or conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2024
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