[Treatment of refractory glaucomas by transscleral cyclophotocoagulation using semiconductor diode laser. Analysis of 50 patients followed-up over 19 months]. / Traitement des glaucomes réfractaires par cyclophotocoagulation transsclérale au laser semi-conducteur diode. Analyse de 50 patients suivis pendant 19 mois.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the effects of transscleral cyclophotocoagulation with the diode laser for refractory glaucoma with respect to intra-ocular pressure, reduction of medical therapy and complications. METHODS: The diode laser system (Iris Medical Instrument, Oculight SLX) was used to treat 50 eyes of 47 patients with therapy resistant glaucoma and a poor prognosis with filtering surgery. All eyes had maximal hypotonic therapy and 40 (82%) patients were using carbonic anhydrase inhibitors. Laser energy was delivered to the eye through a quartz glass fiber optic probe [13 to 20 spots over 270 degrees using 3.5 J (1.75 W x 2.0 sec)]. The mean follow-up was 19.4 +/- 9.1 months (from 12 to 29 months). RESULTS: Intra-ocular pressure significantly decreased from mean baseline 32.4 +/- 9.1 mmHg to 19.7 +/- 8.1 mmHg at the end of the follow-up (p < 0.001). An intra-ocular-pressure below 20 mmHg was obtained in 66% of the eyes. In 13 patients the carbonic anhydrase inhibitors were discontinued. Six of the 8 painful eyes had pain relief. Visual acuity decreased in 17 (34%): cataract progression in 5 eyes, uncontrolled intra-ocular-pressure in 4 eyes, glaucoma progression despite controlled intra-ocular-pressure in 3 eyes, corneal dystrophy in 3 eyes. Chronic uveitis occurred in 5 (10%) eyes. No conjonctival, scleral or direct lens damage was detected. CONCLUSION: Contact transscleral cylophotocoagulation with the diode laser system can be successfully used to reduce intra-ocular-pressure in therapy resistant glaucoma. The incidence of complications is low with no loss of vision related to cyclodestruction.

Evaluation of the Tono-Pen 2 and the X-Pert noncontact tonometers in cataract surgery.

The Oculab Tono-Pen and the X-Pert noncontact tonometers (NCTs) were compared to the Goldmann applanation tonometer in a consecutive series of 45 patients before and after cataract surgery. In the preoperative period, the mean value of the paired difference at intraocular pressure (IOP) measurements was -1.30 +/- 2.11 mm Hg (mean +/- SD) for the X-Pert NCT (X-Pert NCT minus Goldmann) and -0.19 +/- 2.56 mm Hg for the Tono-Pen 2 (Tono-Pen 2 minus Goldmann). In the postoperative period, this mean difference was 0.26 +/- 2.45 mm Hg for the X-Pert NCT and 0.87 +/- 2.83 mm Hg for the Tono-Pen 2. We found 87 and 67% of the X-Pert NCT and the Tono-Pen 2 readings to be within +/- 2 mm Hg of the Goldmann readings, respectively. In both preoperative and postoperative eyes, correlation coefficients between the readings of the three instruments were high (ranging from 0.84 to 0.96). Differences between the three tonometers were not correlated with corneal thickness of corneal curvature postoperatively. Both Tono-Pen 2 and X-Pert NCT could thus be considered accurate instruments for IOP screening after cataract surgery when compared to the Goldmann applanation tonometer.