title: Inferior corneal decompensation following laser peripheral iridotomy in the superior iris.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe a previously unreported clinical entity of inferior corneal decompensation occurring as a long-term complication of superior laser peripheral iridotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective, non-comparative observational case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Chart review of 14 subjects (16 eyes) with inferior corneal decompensation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were Chinese, most were females (71.4%), and the mean age was 69.5 +/- 8.1 year. The mean interval from iridotomy to the onset of inferior corneal decompensation was 66.1 +/- 34.0 months. The most common indication for laser iridotomy was for prophylaxis, either in the fellow eye of acute angle closure (43.8%) or for occludable angles (12.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corneal decompensation in the inferior part of the cornea at a site remote from the iridotomy is a rare but important complication of laser iridotomy. Because many of the laser iridotomies were performed prophylactically in eyes without glaucoma, patients may need to be warned of this risk.
authors.affiliation: Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore.
authors.forename: Laurence S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Ching-Lin
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.forename: Leonard P K
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.forename: Tin
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Aung
authors.forename: Donald T H
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000209:etiology*; D003318:Corneal Opacity / Q000209:etiology*; D005260:Female; D015812:Glaucoma, Angle-Closure / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D032801:Iridectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D007498:Iris / Q000601:surgery*; D053685:Laser Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors