Prevalence of plateau iris syndrome in young patients with recurrent angle closure

BACKGROUND: To assess and describe the prevalence and clinical features associated with plateau iris syndrome (PIS) in young individuals with recurrent angle closure despite initial therapy. METHODS: Chart review of 137 relatively young individuals (aged < 60 years) with symptoms of angle closure between 1995 and 2005. A follow-up period of 36 months after initial presentation was retrospectively analysed. Seventy-six patients with recurrent angle closure symptoms were clinically reviewed using gonioscopy and ultrasound biomicroscopy. RESULTS: Based on chart analysis, 30 of 137 individuals were diagnosed with PIS (22%). After clinical review, 34 additional patients suffered from PIS as the underlying cause for persistent angle closure symptoms. The prevalence of PIS in our patient population with recurrent angle closure symptoms in spite of initial iridotomy or iridectomy was 54%. CONCLUSION: Among angle closure in young individuals, PIS is not uncommon. The causative mechanism of PIS in young individuals is peripheral iris block, rather than pupillary block which is more often prevalent in older patients. For proper diagnosis and therapy, ultrasound biomicroscopy and gonioscopy should be performed on every young individual with angle closure symptoms.