The long-term effect of Nd:YAG laser iridotomy on intraocular pressure in Taiwanese eyes with primary angle-closure glaucoma.
BACKGROUND
To investigate the long-term effect of Nd:YAG laser iridotomy on intraocular pressure (IOP) in Taiwanese eyes with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG).


METHODS
The medical records of 81 patients (130 eyes) who were diagnosed with PACG and who had undergone Nd:YAG laser iridotomy between 1998 and 2002 were reviewed. According to the presence of symptomatic glaucoma attack, eyes were divided into an acute angle-closure glaucoma (AACG) group and chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG) group. In the AACG group, the acute episode was treated and resolved after Nd:YAG laser iridotomy. These eyes were diagnosed to have or developed glaucoma during the follow-up period. All patients were followed-up for at least 24 months. The presenting features, treatment and IOP during the follow-up period were analyzed.


RESULTS
The mean follow-up period was 44.1 +/- 17.8 months (median, 36 months). There were 27 eyes (from 25 patients) in the AACG group. Only 2 eyes (7.4%) did not require any treatment after Nd:YAG laser iridotomy. Eleven eyes (40.7%) eventually underwent filtering surgery at a mean of 3.2 months (median, 3 months) after Nd:YAG laser iridotomy. There were 103 eyes (from 56 patients) in the CACG group. Eighty-five eyes (82.5%) required further medical treatment, of which 21 eyes (20.4%) eventually received filtering surgery at a mean of 9.8 months (median, 5 months) after Nd:YAG laser iridotomy.


CONCLUSIONS
For most Taiwanese eyes with PACG after Nd:YAG laser iridotomy, additional medicine and surgery are required in the long term. Eyes in the AACG group needed more surgical intervention than those in the CACG group.
Department of Ophthalmology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC. mj_chen@vghtpe.gov.tw
Mei-Ju
MJ
Chen
Ching-Yu
CY
Cheng
Ching-Kuang
CK
Chou
Catherine J L
CJ
Liu
Wen-Ming
WM
Hsu
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D018463:Filtering Surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015812:Glaucoma, Angle-Closure / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D007498:Iris / Q000601:surgery*; D053685:Laser Therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013997:Time Factors