[Drug therapy for residual angle-closure glaucoma after laser iridectomy]

To observe and compare the effect of 0.005% latanoprost and 0.5% timolol solutions in the treatment of post-iridectomy residual angle-closure glaucoma.

Laser peripheral iridectomy was performed and 68 cases (68 eyes) of post-iridectomy residual angle-closure glaucoma were selected and treated with 0.005% latanoprost once at night as the study group and 0.5% timolol twice a day as the control group Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured before treatment, on day 3, week 1, week 2, week 4, month 2, month 3 and month 6 in the follow-up, and visual acuity, visual field and C/D ratio were monitored.

Of 68 patients, 56 (82.4%) complete the 6 month follow-up. The basic IOP for all subjects in two groups before treatment was not statistically different (t = 0.236, P = 0.814). After the treatment for three days, the efficiency in IOP reduction was statistically different between 2 groups with repeated measure ANOVA (F = 287.441, P < 0.001). In each group, the IOP after treatment was statistically different from that at baseline, with t = 14.103, P < 0.001 and t = 10.308, P < 0.001 in the latanoprost and timolol groups respectively. For those patients who finished 6 months' follow-up, the IOP difference between the 2 groups was statistically significant with repeated measure ANOVA (F = 74.259, P < 0.001). The IOP was statistically reduced in both the latanoprost and the timolol groups with F = 148.787, P < 0.001 and F = 54.875, P < 0.001 respectively. At each follow-up time, the IOP in latanoprost group was statistically different from that of the timolol group with t values to be -6.127, -5.930, -6.201, -5.931, -7.412, -6.640 and -6.756 (P < 0.001). The IOP was statistically different from that before treatment in each group with a mean difference to be -7.034 approximately -6.897 in the latanoprost group and -4.704 approximately -5.000 in the timolol group (P < 0.001). The IOP was not statistically different within each group in the follow-up with mean difference of 0.034 approximately 0.138 (P = 0.904 approximately 0.629) in the latanoprost group and a mean difference of 0.037 approximately 0.296 (P = 0.910 approximately 0.366) in the timolol group. The best-corrected visual acuity, visual field and C/D ratio were not significantly changed during follow-up.

0.005% latanoprost and 0.5% timolol can be used in the drug therapy of post-iridectomy angle-closure glaucoma and the efficiency of 0.005% latanoprost is better than of 0.5% timolol. Drug therapy of post-iridectomy angle-closure glaucoma is a practical strategy.