Endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation combined with pars plana vitrectomy for refractory glaucoma

Objective To observe the efficacy of endoscopic cyclophotocoagulation (ECP) combined with pars plana vitrectomy in the treatment of refractory glaucoma. Methods The data of 26 eyes of 21 patients with refractory glaucoma were enrolled and they were treated with ECP combined with pars plana vitrectomy. All cases were followed up for at least 12 months. The intraocular pressure (IOP) and visual acuities were observed, and the correlation between the range of photocoagulation and the descend range of intraocular pressure was analyzed. Results The IOP decreased at different time points after treatment, the difference was statistically significant (P 0.05), and visual acuity increased in 13 eyes (50.0%), decreased in 5 eyes (19.2%), and remained unchanged in 8 eyes (30.8%). IOP in patients whose coagulation range were above 270° decreased more than those in the other patients, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). There was positive correlation between the range of cyclophotocoagulation and postoperative descent range of IOP at 12 months after treatment (r=0.733, P<0.001). Conclusion ECP combined with pars plana vitrectomy is effective in the treatment of refractory glaucoma, it can significantly reduce the intraocular pressure, inhibit the decline of visual acuity. The wider range of cyclophotocoagulation , the higher the degree of the descend of intraocular pressure. Key words: Cyclophotocoagulation, endoscopic; Vitrectomy; Glaucoma, refractory; Intraocular pressure