High incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia after contact and noncontact neodymium:YAG cyclotherapy.
BACKGROUND
Two cases of sympathetic ophthalmia occurring after noncontact neodymium:YAG (Nd:YAG) cyclotherapy have previously been reported. In each case, the patient had undergone filtering surgery in the exciting eye. Although in each case Nd:YAG cyclotherapy was the last surgery performed, the inciting event of sympathetic ophthalmia was unclear.


METHODS
The authors studied three additional patients who developed sympathetic ophthalmia after Nd:YAG cyclotherapy for glaucoma.


RESULTS
Two patients developed sympathetic ophthalmia 4 months after noncontact Nd:YAG cyclotherapy, and 1 patient developed sympathetic ophthalmia 18 months after contact Nd:YAG cyclotherapy. All patients had previous cataract extractions but no filtering surgery in the exciting eye. Clinical features included chronic iridocyclitis, choroidal folds, Dalen-Fuchs nodules, and optic disc edema. Combining these cases with the two previously reported cases, the incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia at our institution thus far is 5.8% (4 of 69) and 0.67% (1 of 150) after noncontact and contact Nd:YAG cyclotherapy, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of sympathetic ophthalmia after Nd:YAG cyclotherapy is high compared with other ocular procedures. The clinician should vigilantly monitor patients after Nd:YAG cyclotherapy and report additional cases that may have occurred at other institutions.
Lam
S
S
Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, UIC Eye Center, University of Illinois, Chicago 60612.
Tessler
H H
HH
Lam
B L
BL
Wilensky
J T
JT
D000368:Aged; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D015355:Glaucoma, Neovascular / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D007498:Iris / Q000601:surgery; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D009879:Ophthalmia, Sympathetic / Q000209:etiology*; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D014792:Visual Acuity