[Argon laser trabeculoretraction in chronic open-angle glaucoma with normal pressure. A prospective study on the...

A prospective randomised study was undertaken on sixty eyes, thirty five patients, (27 women, 8 men) followed in the Saint-Joseph hospital of Paris, with low tension glaucoma (LTG). The thirty five patients were selected at random and had either an argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT) or received only vascular medications (medial). The first group (ALT) included 29 eyes. The second group (medical) included 31 eyes. The two groups were comparable: mean age, men/women distribution, mean intraocular pressure, mean C/D ratio, mean total visual capability (TVC) with the friedmann analyser. The mean follow up for the two groups was seven years. Nevertheless for the ALT group the mean follow up after ALT was four years. We compared for the two groups: --the aspect of the mean intraocular pressure (IOP) curve with time, --the evolution gradient of visual capabilities with time. For the ALT group we compared: --the mean IOP and 24 hours diurnal curves before and after laser treatment and the evolution gradient of visual capabilities before and after laser treatment. The introduction of ALT in the treatment of LTG had neither tonometric effect nor effect on the slope of visual field damage. We concluded that ALT is not recommended in LTG, but not that the IOP should not be reduced in this form of glaucoma.