Increase and decrease of measurements of iris density of glaucoma patients treated with latanoprost over 36 months

The aim of this study was to measure the density of iris photographs taken over time of patients treated with latanoprost.

For 22 patients treated with latanoprost for 36 months, 250 iris photographs were obtained. Photographs were obtained at baseline, and then at 1 month on follow-up and subsequently at 4-month intervals. Photographs were measured in duplicate and masked for time, with a standardized method with red/blue light for density of color.

On visual inspection, 11 irides appeared to show an increase in color or pigment, while 12 showed no change. Eight (8) irides showed a significant, or borderline significant, increasing positive slopes of density measurements over time, while 9 irides showed a significant, or borderline significant, decreasing negative slopes. Six (6) subjects had no significant slope. There was a correspondence between the observations on visual inspection of an increase in color and the analysis of density measurements both by slope and by differences between final minus initial measurements. No leveling off of measurements was observed in almost all of the eyes, which showed increasing trends.

There is a heterogeneous response to treatment by latanoprost for 36 months in changes over time of red/blue density measurements for iris color.