Effect of a YAG laser iridotomy on intraocular pressure in pigment dispersion syndrome

Purpose: To determine whether an iridotomy can prevent an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with pigment dispersion syndrome. Methods: Consecutive subjects (n = 21) recruited into this randomized, controlled clinical trial in a hospital-based outpatient referral center, had pigment dispersion syndrome in both eyes, and underwent a YAG laser iridotomy in one eye (randomly chosen); no intervention was performed in the fellow eye. A significant elevation of IOP was arbitrarily defined as an increase of more than 5 mmHg. Results: Eleven (52.3%) untreated eyes versus 1 (4.7%) treated eye showed a significant elevation of IOP during the 2-year follow- up. The IOP difference between the untreated and the fellow treated eye at the end of the 2-year follow-up period is inversely related to the age of each patient. Conclusion: YAG laser iridotomy may reduce the incidence of ocular hypertension in eyes affected by pigment dispersion syndrome. This effect, being less pronounced after 40 years of age, may be of clinical relevance in young subjects.