Cystoid macular oedema: a rare complication following selective laser trabeculoplasty

A female patient with previous vitrectomy for epiretinal membrane in the left eye underwent bilateral selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) for pigmentary glaucoma and subsequently developed cystoid macular oedema (CMO) in the vitrectomised eye. This resolved fully with treatment with topical steroids and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) drops. This complication has been very rarely reported in the literature, and a subsequent internal audit found a very low rate of CMO temporally related to SLT of 0.07%. We suggest close follow-up and 'red flag' follow-up instructions to patients with previous vitrectomy or epiretinal membrane to watch for this complication, and clinicians may consider covering higher risk patients with an NSAID post-laser.