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Carteolol, a non-selective beta-antagonist with a potential risk of severe bronchial constriction in patients with asthma, is one of the most commonly prescribed medication for managing ocular pressure in glaucoma. We present a case of a 24-year-old woman with a history of atopy but no known asthma who presented an insidious onset of clinical manifestations compatible with drug-induced asthma after the initiation of carteolol for ocular hypertension control. The patient developed progressive chest tightness and dyspnoea for 2 months before the pulmonary function test revealed a positive bronchoprovocation response. She reported significant improvement of respiratory symptoms within 2 weeks after the discontinuation of carteolol, and a negative provocation response was later confirmed by repeat pulmonary function test. In conclusion, eye drops with non-selective beta-antagonising effect can induce asthmatic symptoms in patients without a previous diagnosis of asthma and should be administered with caution in patients with associated risk factors.
National Taiwan University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan.
Full article9.4.15 Glaucoma in relation to systemic disease (Part of: 9 Clinical forms of glaucomas > 9.4 Glaucomas associated with other ocular and systemic disorders)
11.3.4 Betablocker (Part of: 11 Medical treatment > 11.3 Adrenergic drugs)