Diode laser cyclophotocoagulation can cause increased central corneal thickness

Transscleral contact diode laser cyclophotocoagulation does not appear to significantly affect either corneal topography or anterior chamber depth, but central corneal thickness can increase during the first 10 days after surgery, according to a study by researchers in Turkey.

"Increased [central corneal thickness] may lead to artificially high intraocular pressure measurements within the first 4 weeks after surgery," the authors said.

Gul Arikan, MD, and colleagues performed transscleral cyclophotocoagulation on 25 eyes of 24 patients. They then used the Orbscan II imaging system (Bausch & Lomb) to evaluate changes to the anterior segment.

Preoperatively, astigmatism averaged 4.51 D centrally, 4.64 D at the 3-mm zone and 5.4 D at the 5-mm zone, and this did not significantly change at either 10 days or 1 month follow-up.

Anterior chamber depth decreased from 3.77 mm at baseline to 3.38 mm at 10 days follow-up and to 3.58 mm at 1 month, but the difference also was not significant.

Central corneal thickness significantly increased, from an average of 540.72 µm preoperatively to 617.08 µm at 10 days. However, central corneal thickness decreased to 569.88 µm at 1 month and was not statistically different compared to baseline, according to the study published in the February issue of Cornea.