Progression of peripheral anterior synechiae after laser iridotomy

To determine the incidence and to characterize the risk factors of peripheral anterior synechiae (PAS) progression after laser iridotomy (LI).

Retrospective observational cohort study.

The extents of pre- and postlaser PAS and ocular and systemic data were obtained from the charts of 54 primary angle-closure glaucoma patients (59 eyes), all of whom had undergone LI.

PAS progressed in 19 of the 59 eyes (32.2%), during a mean follow-up period of 34.4 months (range, 6-95 months). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of plateau iris (P = .024), and a high intraocular pressure 1 hour before LI (P = .042) were risk factors of PAS progression.

Approximately one of three of the eyes showed PAS progression during a 3-year follow-up period after LI. The probability of progression was found to be higher in the eyes that exhibited plateau iris and in eyes that proved to be relatively unresponsive to medication before LI.