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Corneal paracentesis can reduce acute spikes in IOP
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FLORENCE, Italy — Patients with an acute IOP of more than 50 mm Hg might benefit from undergoing a paracentesis, according to a poster presentation here at the European Glaucoma Society meeting.
Alain Bron, MD, and colleagues prospectively enrolled 13 eyes of 13 patients with an acute elevation of IOP to at least 50 mm Hg. Of the patients, one had phacolytic glaucoma, eight cases had secondary angle-closure glaucoma with pupillary block and two cases had secondary angle-closure glaucoma without pupillary block.
After undergoing corneal paracentesis, mean IOP decreased from 52.5 mm Hg preoperatively to 23.8 mm Hg at 10 minutes postop. After 1 week, mean IOP had fallen to 16 mm Hg.
Corneal edema improvement was seen in 11 of 13 cases. One case of failure in the posterior block occurred, and two cases required an additional puncture. Nine patients underwent a laser peripheral iridotomy following the paracentesis. No additional treatment was required in 11 eyes.
No complications directly related to the paracentesis were observed, the study authors said.