Choroidal detachment, flat anterior chamber, and hypotony as complications of neodymium: YAG laser cyclophotocoagulation

Abstract

Severe hypotony, flat anterior chamber, and serous choroidal detachment after transscleral neodymium: YAG laser cyclophotocoagulation (Nd:YAG-CPC) for three cases of intractable glaucoma are reported. The three patients had failed previous filtering surgery and were receiving maximal medical therapy. The types of glaucomas treated were two cases of primary open-angle and one chronic-angle closure. The complications were noted between 1 and 2 weeks from the time of treatment. One patient improved spontaneously after 1 week of observation. Another patient required drainage of the choroidal effusion and anterior chamber reformation. The last patient remains under observation with a low intraocular pressure (IOP) and a slowly resolving serous choroidal detachment. Though the incidence of shallow anterior chambers is three cases (0.5%) in this series of 750 Nd:YAG-CPCs, it represents a serious problem that had not been reported previously.