Uveitis associated with topical beta-blockers

Objective: To assess the incidence of uveitis associated with topical beta-blockers. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Setting: A computerized database of a health maintenance organization was used to identify patients who were prescribed metipranolol or other beta-blockers. Patients: Two groups: 1928 patients using 0.3% metipranolol and 3903 patients using other beta-blockers. Main Outcome Measure: Cases of uveitis were identified by noting a prescription of a topical corticosteroid and then conducting a chart review. Results: No cases of uveitis were identified among the 5831 patients. The upper limits of the 95% confidence intervals for the incidence of uveitis in cohorts of this size are 1.87 cases per 1000 person-years of exposure for metipranolol and 1.38 for other beta-blockers. Conclusion: Drug-induced uveitis from metipranolol or other beta-blocker administration is a rare event, even if a causal relationship exists.