Evaluation of Laser Trabeculoplasty in Patients with Primary Wide-Angle Glaucoma and Ocular Hypertension

There are a few options for lowering   intraocular pressure (IOP): medical treatment, laser therapy, and surgery. Although SLT is a safe treatment of glaucoma, some parameters may be affected by the SLT. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of SLT on anterior segment parameters and macular thickness in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT).

56 eyes with newly diagnosed or uncontrolled POAG and OHT were enrolled. All the patients treated with SLT: 360˚. IOP, anterior segment parameters, and macular thickness in 5 zones were measured before and 1, 3, 6 months after SLT, and data were compared between both groups at different times.

IOP decreased significantly in both groups (P<0.05). There was an increase in macular thickness in the first and 3rd months after SLT. On the 6th month after SLT, all the measures except the temporal zone in the POAG group were back to pre-SLT measures. The central corneal thickness also increased in the first month but decreased in the 3rd and 6th months after SLT. Anterior chamber depth and volume also significantly decreased in both groups (p-value: (P<0.05) Anterior chamber angle also increased mild but not significant during the follow-up (P>0.05).

Although the selective laser trabeculoplasty is safe it may affect some parameters of the anterior segmen.