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Am J OphthalmolJuly 200640 citations

Inferior corneal decompensation following laser peripheral iridotomy in the superior iris.

Lim Laurence S, Ho Ching-Lin, Ang Leonard P K, Aung Tin, Tan Donald T H


AI Summary

Inferior corneal decompensation can rarely occur years after superior laser iridotomy, even for prophylaxis. Patients should be warned of this remote complication.

Abstract

Purpose

To describe a previously unreported clinical entity of inferior corneal decompensation occurring as a long-term complication of superior laser peripheral iridotomy.

Design

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.


MeSH Terms

AgedAged, 80 and overCorneal EdemaCorneal OpacityFemaleGlaucoma, Angle-ClosureHumansIridectomyIrisLaser TherapyMaleMiddle AgedRetrospective StudiesRisk Factors

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