Decrease in tear bioavailability of ciprofloxacin in eyes with carbon containing eyeliners

Objective: We studied the tear bioavailability of topical ciprofloxacin 0.3% eyedrops in eyes having an eyeliner and compared the level to the fellow eye without the eyeliner. Methods: We enrolled a total of 10 patients; 6 females and 4 males, with an age range of 32 to 40 years. One drop of ciprofloxacin 0.3% was instilled in each eye; one eye had carbon-based eyeliner placed at the lid margin and the fellow eye had no eyeliner. Tear samples were collected at 1 and 5 hours following the application of topical ciprofloxacin. Results: At one hour, the mean ciprofloxacin tear concentration in eyes with eyeliner was 1.67 mg/l compared to 2.35 mg/l in eyes without eyeliner (p