AIM: To evaluate the therapeutic effect of emedastine difumarate eye drops combined with fluorometholone eye drops on allergic conjunctivitis.

METHODS: Retrospective study. A total of 115 patients(230 eyes)with allergic conjunctivitis who received treatment from June 2020 to August 2022 were selected, and they were divided into the observation group(56 cases, 112 eyes)and the control group(59 cases, 118 eyes)according to whether to use fluorometholone eye drops combined with the conventional use of emedastine difumarate eye drops. The clinical symptoms and signs, tear film break-up time(BUT), corneal fluorescein staining score and complications of the two groups were observed before treatment and at 4 wk after treatment.

RESULTS: After treatment, the scores of eye symptoms and signs in the two groups were decreased, and the observation group was lower than the control group(P<0.05); BUT of the two groups was longer than that before treatment, and the observation group was longer than that of the control group(P<0.05); The corneal fluorescein staining scores of the two groups decreased, and those of the observation group were lower than those of the control group(P<0.05); There was no significant difference in the total incidence of complications between the two groups after treatment(3.6% vs 5.1%; P>0.05).

CONCLUSION: With high therapeutic safety and effectiveness, the combination of emedastine difumarate eye drops and fluorometholone eye drops in the treatment of allergic conjunctivitis can significantly reduce the patient's symptom and sign scores, prolong BUT, promote a decrease in corneal fluorescein staining scores, improve efficacy, and do not increase the risk of complications.