title: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome: Effect of phacoemulsification on intraocular pressure and its diurnal variation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of phacoemulsification on intraocular pressure (IOP) in pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome and its diurnal variation.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this prospective, non-comparative, interventional case series, phacoemulsification was done for patients with PEX and concomitant visually significant cataract. Follow-up examinations including IOP measurement were done at postoperative day 1, week 1, month 1, month 3, and month 6. All IOP measurements were performed twice daily: once in the morning between 8 and 10 AM and the other in the evening between 6 and 8 PM. The minimum and maximum IOP and the mean IOP were recorded. IOP variation was defined as the difference between maximum and minimum pressures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sixty-eight eyes of 68 patients were analyzed. The mean IOP dropped from 17.45 ± 3.32 mm Hg to 12.57 ± 1.58 mm Hg at 6 months. The minimum and maximum IOP dropped from 14.97 ± 3.46 mm Hg and 20.03 ± 3.39 to 11.53 ± 1.79 mm Hg and 13.01 ± 1.81 after 6 months, respectively. Diurnal IOP variation dropped from 5.06 ± 1.85 mm Hg (range 2-10) at baseline to 1.49 ± 0.93 mm Hg (range 0-4) at postoperative month 6 (p < 0.001 for all). This drop was not correlated with age and CCT, but was strongly correlated with baseline IOP variation (r = 0.847, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Phacoemulsification without any additional intervention can be an attractive choice in managing the IOP and its diurnal variations in pseudoexfoliation patients, even with elevated IOP, who do not have advanced optic nerve damage.
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Service, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Zakieh
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Vahedian
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Service, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Roham
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salmanroghani
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Service, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Ghasem
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fakhraie
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Service, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Sasan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Moghimi
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Service, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Yadollah
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Eslami
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Service, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Reza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zarei
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Service, Farabi Eye Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Massood
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mohammadi
keywords: Diurnal intraocular pressure variation; Phacoemulsification; Pseudoexfoliation