Topical nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents in ophthalmology.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory agents or NSAIDs are potent inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis. As such, they have found many useful roles in ophthalmology. NSAIDs are approved by the FDA to prevent intraoperative miosis during cataract surgery, reduce postoperative inflammation following cataract surgery, and control symptoms of allergic conjunctivitis and pain following refractive surgery. In addition, they have been shown to be effective in preventing cystoid macular edema following cataract surgery or treating cystoid macular edema once it occurs.