Severe iritis and choroidal effusion following selective laser trabeculoplasty

Efficacy and safety of first-line or second-line selective laser trabeculoplasty for normal-tension glaucoma: a multicentre cohort study

BACKGROUND/AIMS

This study aimed to investigate and compare the efficacy and safety of first-line and second-line selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in Japanese patients with normal-tension glaucoma (NTG).

METHODS

100 patients with NTG were enrolled in this study. Patients were treated with SLT as a first-line or second-line treatment for NTG. Main outcome measures were intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction rate, outflow pressure improvement rate (ΔOP), success rate at 1 year and complications. Success was defined as ΔOP≥20% (criterion A) or an IOP reduction ≥20% (criterion B) without additional IOP-lowering eye-drops, repeat SLT or additional glaucoma surgeries. The incidence of transient IOP spike (>5 mm Hg from the pretreatment IOP), conjunctival hyperaemia, inflammation in the anterior chamber and visual impairment due to SLT were assessed.

RESULTS

A total of 99 patients (99 eyes) were initially enrolled in this study, including 74 eyes assigned to the first-line SLT group and 25 eyes to the second-line SLT group. The mean IOP of 16.3±2.1 mm Hg before SLT decreased by 17.1%±9.5% to 13.4±1.9 mm Hg at 12 months after SLT in the first-line group (p<0.001), and the mean IOP of 15.4±1.5 mm Hg before SLT decreased by 12.7%±9.7% to 13.2±2.0 mm Hg at 12 months after SLT (p=0.005) in the second-line group. Both groups showed significant reductions in IOP. Higher pre-SLT IOP and thinner central corneal thickness were associated with greater IOP reduction. The success rate at 1 year was higher in the first-line compared with the second-line group, with lower pretreatment IOP and the use of IOP-lowering medication before SLT being associated with treatment failure. Most post-treatment complications were minor and transient.

CONCLUSIONS

SLT may be an effective and safe treatment option for NTG, as either a first-line or second-line treatment.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

The study was registered in the UMIN-CTR (UMIN Test ID: UMIN R000044059).

Choroidal detachment and hypotony following selective laser trabeculoplasty: a case report

BACKGROUND

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is relatively safe and effective in lowering intraocular pressure (IOP). However, although rare, complications can occur after SLT. This report describes a patient with choroidal detachment due to hypotony following SLT without anterior chamber (AC) inflammation.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 67-year-old man was referred for elevated IOP in his left eye with advanced glaucomatous visual field loss. He had previously been diagnosed with idiopathic uveitic glaucoma in the left eye, for which he underwent laser iridotomy, trabeculectomy, and cataract surgery. At the first visit, the IOP of his left eye measured by Goldmann tonometry was 28 mmHg despite maximally tolerated medical treatment. SLT was performed in his left eye, resulting in an IOP of 7 mmHg 7 days later. At 3 weeks post-procedure, the patient experienced ocular pain and decreased visual acuity in his left eye. Slit-lamp examination revealed deep anterior chamber depth and no inflammation reaction, but the IOP in his left eye was 4 mmHg, and both fundus and B-scan ultrasonography showed serous choroidal detachment. All anti-glaucoma agents were stopped, and the patient was started on treatment with oral prednisolone and cyclopentolate eye drops. Three weeks later, choroidal detachment had resolved and the IOP in his left eye had stabilized at 8 mmHg. Follow-up 3 months later showed that the IOP in his left eye remained stable.

CONCLUSIONS

Choroidal detachment-related hypotony is a rare complication of SLT. This possible complication following SLT should be informed to the patients and considered when performing the procedure.

A Review of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty: "The Hype Is Real"

Presently, there is no efficacious treatment for glaucomatous optic neuropathy; the current treatment is focused on lowering intraocular pressure (IOP). Studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in reducing the IOP in eyes with open-angle (OAG) glaucoma or ocular hypertension (OH). Moreover, the European Glaucoma Society has instated SLT as the first-line or adjunctive treatment in OAG or OH, reiterating its clinical significance. In this review, we outline the old and the new roles of SLT, with an emphasis on clinical practice, and look further into its renewed appeal and future developments.

Five-Year Long-Term Follow-Up of Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty in Open-Angle Glaucoma

PURPOSE

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is known as a safe laser therapy for an effective reduction in intraocular pressure (IOP). The aim of this study was to examine the therapeutic success of SLT in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients with a long-term follow-up of 5 years.

METHODS

Forty-six eyes of forty OAG patients, some with previous intraocular surgery, underwent SLT (24 males, 16 females). Therapeutic success was categorized as: category (I) - IOP reduction ≤ 21 mmHg and > 20% compared to baseline IOP with additional glaucoma medication; category (II) - IOP reduction ≤ 18 mmHg and > 30% compared to baseline IOP with additional glaucoma medication; category (III) - IOP reduction ≤ 18 mmHg without any additional glaucoma medication at all follow-ups. Therapeutic failure was defined as the necessity of any further glaucoma surgery (IV).

RESULTS

(1) SLT was well tolerated in all eyes, and no severe side effects or complications were recorded. (2) After 1-year follow-up, therapeutic success was 27% (I), 30% (II), and 3% (III). The therapeutic failure rate was 40% (IV). (3) After 2 years follow-up, therapeutic success was 7% (I), 10% (II), and 0% (III). The therapeutic failure rate was 83% (IV). (4) After 3 years follow-up, the therapeutic failure rate increased up to 100% (IV).

CONCLUSION

SLT seemed to be effective in lowering IOP in the first year in the present cohort, however, the long-term effect is low and additional local therapy or surgical interventions are necessary.

[Laser trials]

This article presents some high-quality and/or frequently cited glaucoma studies. The LiGHT study, which compared selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) with eye drops for reducing intraocular pressure (IOP) in ocular hypertension or early primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), a British study on real-world results after SLT treatment and the ZAP study, which evaluated the effectiveness and safety of prophylactic peripheral iridotomy in suspected bilateral angle closure. The primary endpoint of the LiGHT study was health-related quality of life (HRQoL) after 3 years. Furthermore, the costs and cost-effectiveness, disease-specific HRQoL, clinical effectiveness and safety were compiled. The SLT group achieved the target ocular pressure with more visits than the eye drops group. The authors stated that a cost analysis was in favor of the laser group and therefore recommend SLT as a first-line treatment for open-angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension. Nevertheless, there are limitations of this trial. The publication by Khawaja et al. on the results after SLT treatment shows that SLT initially has a good effectiveness but this decreases from 70 to 27% after 2 years. The authors also name further limitations of SLT, as its effectiveness depends on the concomitant medication, initial IOP and the severity of glaucoma. The aim of the ZAP trial was to investigate the efficacy and safety of prophylactic laser peripheral iridotomy in primary angle closure glaucoma in a Chinese study population. Their results indicate that prophylactic laser iridotomy for suspected angle closure is not to be recommended. This study also has limitations and further studies on this topic are necessary.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty: A review

Glaucoma is the second most prevalent cause of blindness worldwide, and the only effective management is the lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP). Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) has become an essential part of glaucoma management since its commercial release in 2001. It has been an improvement from the previous argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT), by using 1% of the laser energy, reducing the amount of anterior segment inflammation and minimising the degree of mechanical injury to the trabecular meshwork. There is now a large volume of work that demonstrates SLT is equally effective as ALT and topical medication in lowering IOP. It is simple to perform, with a well described side-effect profile, and is long-lasting and repeatable. This review will summarise the current literature on SLT for each of these topics.

Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty in the Treatment of Ocular Hypertension and Open-Angle Glaucoma: Clinical Review

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is a glaucoma treatment that reduces intraocular pressure (IOP). Its mechanism is based on the biological effects of the selective application of laser energy to pigmented trabecular meshwork (TM) cells, resulting in increased outflow facility. Herein, we review current publications on SLT and summarize its efficacy and safety for different indications in open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT) treatment. SLT effectively reduces IOP when used as a primary treatment. In patients whose IOP is medically controlled, SLT helps to reduce medication use, and when maximally tolerated topical therapy is ineffective, SLT facilitates the realization of the target IOP. SLT is a repeatable procedure for which the vast majority of complications are mild and self-limiting. With effective IOP reduction, low complication rates and the potential to repeat the procedure, SLT offers the possibility of delaying the introduction of medical therapy and other more invasive treatment modalities while simultaneously avoiding the accompanying complications. With this knowledge, we suggest that SLT be considered as an essential primary treatment option in OAG and OHT, switching to other treatment modalities only when laser procedures are insufficient for achieving the required target IOP.

Treatment choices for newly diagnosed primary open angle and ocular hypertension patients

Despite advances in our knowledge of the aetiology and pathophysiology of glaucoma, the sole proven, effective intervention for treating primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and ocular hypertension (OHT) remains lowering of intraocular pressure (IOP) to prevent further progression and visual loss. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the treatment choices available to newly diagnosed POAG and OHT patients. We review the existing literature on treatments currently available to newly diagnosed POAG and OHT patients and discuss their role in the treatment paradigm of POAG and OHT. We consider different factors that may be important when offering a choice of treatment to newly diagnosed POAG and OHT patients as well as describing new glaucoma treatments in development and future directions for treatment.

Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty Protects Glaucoma Progression in the Initial Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma and Angle-Closure Glaucoma after Laser Peripheral Iridotomy in the Long Term

Purpose

To compare the ability of SLT in preventing glaucoma progression in the initial primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) after laser peripheral iridotomy and primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in the long term.

Methods

60 patients with the initial stage of PACG after laser peripheral iridotomy and 64 initial POAG patients were recruited in a prospective study. Complete success of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) was defined as a 20% intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction with topical hypotensive medications without any hypotensive intervention. Pre-SLT rate of progression and post-SLT rate of progression (ROP) was detected in the both groups by means of the trend and the event analysis of perimetry, the Guided Progression Analysis, and the optical coherence tomography- (OCT-) based negative trend for either the thickness of the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) or ganglion cell complex (GCC).

Results

IOP decreased significantly after SLT in both the groups. 30% in PACG and 19% in POAG had the progression according to perimetry and 49% in PACG and 40% in POAG had the progression, respectively, according to OCT. After SLT, ROP was reduced from -0.14 ± 0.39 dB/year to -0.08 ± 0.48 dB/year, p=0.034, in PACG and from -0.09 ± 0.36 dB/year to -0.04 ± 0.43 dB/year, p=0.021, in POAG. According to RNFL trend analysis, ROP was reduced from -1.86 ± 2.9 μm/year to -1.38 ± 2.2 μm/year, p=0.039, and from -1.24 ± 2.23 μm/year to -0.76 ± 1.73 μm/year, p=0.037, in PACG and POAG, and according to GCC, ROP was reduced from -1.88 ± 2.9 μm/year to -1.34 ± 2.0 μm/year, p=0.040, and from -1.35 ± 2.16 μm/year to -0.91 ± 1.86 μm/year, p=0.040, in PACG and POAG, respectively. ROP was significantly faster in PACD than in POAG between 2 and 6 years after SLT: -0.15 ± 0.46 dB/year and 0.02 ± 0.38 dB/year (p=0.042). However, it did not differ significantly according to OCT.

Conclusion

SLT is an effective treatment for initial PACG after LPI and POAG that can prevent functional and structural deterioration in the long term.

Cystoid macular edema following selective laser trabeculoplasty in a patient with ocular hypertension

PURPOSE

Presentation of a case with ocular hypertension who developed cystoid macular edema (CME) following selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT).

CASE REPORT

A 62-year-old male patient who had undergone phacoemulsification surgery for traumatic cataract 9 years ago was on ocular hypertension treatment for the last 5 years. Due to uncontrolled intraocular pressure and side effect of medications, a 360° SLT was performed. The patient returned with decrased visual acuity 1 week after the procedure. There was CME in the treated eye. It healed completely after topical prednisolone acetate QID and nepafenac QID for 1 week, and no recurrence was observed during follow-ups.

CONCLUSION

Cystoid macular edema may occur following SLT treatment in patients with previous traumatic cataract surgery which responds to topical treatment.

Bilateral choroidal effusion after selective laser trabeculoplasty

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is an effective treatment to treat open-angle glaucoma with a low risk of complications. The case is presented of a 73 year-old woman with uncontrolled primary open-angle glaucoma who underwent selective laser trabeculoplasty in both eyes and developed bilateral choroidal effusion.

Where does selective laser trabeculoplasty stand now? A review

Background

Chronic treatment of glaucoma can present a challenge in patients who lack the means and/or the discipline to use daily glaucoma medication. We wondered if selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) could be a useful alternative.

Methods

Inclusion criteria: controlled trials comparing efficacy of SLT in adult patients with any form of open angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension and case reports on side effects of SLT. Two recent meta-analyses identified eight randomized clinical trials (RCTs) comparing the effect of SLT with medication (prostaglandin analogs) and with argon laser trabeculoplasty (ALT). We took these eight RCTs as reference base and calculated their success rates where they were not given. Other articles were added to elaborate on technique and side effects.

Results

Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction after SLT was 3.8–8.0 mmHg after 6 months to 1 year. Mean success rate of SLT at 6 months to 1 year is 55–82 %. Higher IOP before laser predicts a higher IOP-lowering effect. In terms of mean IOP reduction, reduction in number of medications and treatment success, the effect of SLT was found to show no clinically relevant difference from that of contemporary medication (prostaglandin analogs) and from ALT.

Conclusions

The evidence indicates that SLT is an efficacious primary or adjunctive therapy for treating glaucoma.

Complications of selective laser trabeculoplasty: a review

Selective laser trabeculoplasty is a laser treatment to treat glaucoma. It was initially indicated for open-angle glaucoma but has been proven to be efficacious for various types of glaucoma. This review article summarizes the few rare complications that can be seen with selective laser trabeculoplasty. It also makes recommendations on how to avoid these problems and how to treat patients when these rare complications arise.

Effect of selective laser trabeculoplasty on macular thickness

Background

To investigate the effects of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) on macular thickness change.

Methods

Forty eyes of 40 consecutive patients with uncontrolled primary open-angle glaucoma with medical treatment were included in this prospective study. SLT was performed to the inferior 180°, and macular thickness was measured. Data were collected before SLT, and 1 week and 1 month after SLT. Macular thickness evaluation was performed in five quadrants, the central 1 mm quadrant (fovea = F), the nasal 3 mm quadrant surrounding F (NQ), temporal quadrant, superior quadrant (SQ), and inferior quadrant (IQ). The preoperative and postoperative thicknesses were compared.

Results

There was an increase in macular thickness in the NQ, IQ, and SQ on the first week after SLT compared to preoperative measurements. On the other hand, there was no significant increase in the F and temporal quadrant. On the first month after SLT, thickness in the NQ, IQ, and SQ was back to preoperative measurements, and there was no significant change between the preoperative measurements in any quadrant.

Conclusion

There was no significant increase in macular thickness shortly after SLT in our study.

Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty: An Update

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) is an effective treatment option for the reduction of intraocular pressure (IOP) in patients with ocular hypertension or open-angle glaucoma. The mechanism by which SLT lowers IOP is not completely understood and is likely multifactorial. Published studies indicate that SLT is at least as effective as argon laser trabeculoplasty or medications at lowering IOP in many forms of glaucoma. In addition to IOP reduction, SLT may decrease IOP fluctuation and can be successfully used as primary or adjunctive therapy for the management of both early and advanced glaucoma. However, SLT may not be effective in certain forms of glaucoma, and the IOP-lowering effect seems to wane with time. High pretreatment IOP is the strongest predictor of treatment success, even in patients with normal-tension glaucoma. Repeatability of SLT has been controversial, but recent evidence suggests that it can be successfully repeated to achieve additional or recurrent IOP reduction, even in eyes that only had a modest response to initial treatment. Adverse events are uncommon after SLT, and the most common complications such as discomfort and inflammation are typically mild and transient. Further investigation is required to determine the optimal treatment parameters for SLT treatment. Limited evidence suggests that SLT is cost-effective as primary therapy for patients with glaucoma.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty: current perspectives

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) has been used in the treatment of glaucoma for just over a decade. Here, we review the current literature in terms of suggested mechanism, efficacy, method of treatment, predictors of success, adverse events, repeatability, and cost of SLT. The exact mechanism by which SLT lowers intraocular pressure (IOP) remains unknown although circumstantial evidence has come in many forms in relation to structural alteration; oxidative stress and inflammatory responses; tight junction integrity; proliferative responses; and microbubble formation. SLT is as effective as argon laser trabeculoplasty and medications in reducing IOP in glaucoma and ocular hypertension. The treatment is not uniformly effective in all eyes, and its IOP-lowering effect decreases over time. High pretreatment IOP is the strongest predictor of success; however, significant pressure reduction has also been shown in normal-tension glaucoma and in patients already taking multiple antiglaucoma drops. Mild, transient adverse effects are common. Transient IOP spikes usually resolve quickly with or without antiglaucoma treatment but may be problematic in pigmented angles. The limited available evidence suggests SLT is repeatable and cost-effective for the treatment of glaucoma and ocular hypertension.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT): 1-year results in early and advanced open angle glaucoma

The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) in eyes with early and more advanced stages of open angle glaucoma within 1 year of follow-up. Retrospective chart review in a consecutive series of patients treated by SLT to reduce intraocular pressure (IOP) or decrease number of topical medications in cases of discomfort and allergy. The cup-to-disc ratio of the optic nerve and the GSS 2 (glaucoma staging system 2) was used to differentiate between early (group 1) and more advanced (group 2) stages of glaucoma. At the time of SLT treatment, no new signs of glaucoma progression were seen. Only the first treated eye of every patient was included in the analysis. In group 1 (early glaucoma), 27 eyes were included. IOP reduction <21 mmHg/>20 % of the preoperative IOP-value and reduction of medication were achieved in 17 eyes (62.96 %). Successful re-treatment was necessary in 2 eyes (7.4 %). In group 2 (advanced glaucoma), 44 eyes underwent SLT. In eight eyes (18.18 %), filtrating surgery was necessary after initial SLT. In the remaining 36 eyes, IOP reduction <21 mmHg/>20 % of the baseline IOP was achieved in 26 eyes (59.09 % of 44 eyes) and IOP reduction <18 mmHg/> 30 % of the baseline IOP in 22 eyes (50 % of 44 eyes). SLT was safe and effective in nearly 2/3 of early glaucoma patients and also in 50 % of advanced glaucoma patients using stronger criteria of success. Failure of SLT in advanced glaucoma should lead to immediate filtrating surgery, which seems not to be associated with higher risk of fibrosis.

Selective laser trabeculoplasty as a first-line therapy: a review

Poor adherence with glaucoma medications has been well documented. There remains a significant unmet need for a relatively safe intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering procedure that minimizes or eliminates patient participation, and thus reduce the incidence of treatment failures attributable to nonadherence. Selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) offers several advantages: It effectively reduces IOP in most patients with open-angle glaucoma, it is cost-effective compared with eye drops, it can be repeated if needed, and it eliminates the issue of adherence to medications when used as an initial treatment. This article reviews the evidence supporting the use of SLT as a first-line therapy in glaucoma.

Acute corneal edema with subsequent thinning and hyperopic shift following selective laser trabeculoplasty

We report 4 cases of acute corneal edema with subsequent thinning and hyperopic shift following routine selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) for the treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma. Four women from 3 clinical sites developed acute corneal edema and haze within 2 days of uneventful SLT. In the following weeks to months, all treated corneas thinned to below pre-procedure thicknesses with resultant hyperopic shifts of nearly 2.0 diopters (D) to greater than 6.0 D. All eyes were moderately to highly myopic prior to SLT (spherical equivalent from -5.00 to -12.5 D). The corrected distance visual acuity 6 to 11 months after SLT was within 2 Snellen lines of the pre-procedure acuity in all patients; 2 patients required contact lenses. Corneal edema with subsequent corneal thinning and resultant hyperopic shift is an uncommon but possibly underrecognized complication of SLT, the etiology of which remains unknown but may be associated with moderate to high myopia.

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.

Corneal decompensation after selective laser trabeculoplasty

A 64-year-old Caucasian man referred for decreased vision after selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT). Slit lamp examination revealed diffuse corneal edema. Despite intensive topical treatment including steroids, corneal edema did not resolve; on the contrary, it advanced to bullous keratopathy. Corneal edema after SLT is an exceptionally rare complication and in all of the previous reports edema resolved with medical treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report presenting persistent corneal edema after SLT.

Repeatability of primary selective laser trabeculoplasty in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

To determine if primary selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) can be repeated with clinical benefit in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). Forty-two eyes of 42 patients with POAG were studied. All patients underwent primary SLT treatment of 40-50 shots to the trabecular meshwork over 360°. The treatment response at the initial post-SLT visit (4 weeks), and second post-SLT visit (mean 4 months), clinical success and duration of clinical success were measured. SLT was repeated in all patients after failure to maintain target intraocular pressure (IOP). The same parameters were measured after repeat SLT. The main outcome measures were success of treatment (as defined by reduction of IOP by at least 20 % and below an individually determined target pressure), duration of treatment success and reduction in IOP. No significant difference between initial and repeat treatments was found for mean reduction in IOP or success rate, or duration of success. Survival analysis found significantly longer benefit for repeat treatment compared to initial treatment (P < 0.01). Repeat SLT treatment in eyes with POAG has similar efficacy to primary SLT treatment with respect to reduction in IOP and success rates, produces a longer duration of treatment success.