Laser iridectomy treatment of acute pseudophakic pupillary block glaucoma

A 71-year-old patient developed acute pupillary block glaucoma two years after uncomplicated extracapsular cataract surgery with primary implantation of a Choyce-style anterior chamber lens. He presented one week after the onset of pain. The attack was relieved with argon laser iridectomy. The presumed mechanism was rotation of the intraocular lens due to blunt trauma, occluding the previously patient single surgical iridectomy site. We felt that in this case, laser iridectomy was a good, safe alternative to surgical iridectomy.