Effect of Apraclonidine and Diclofenac on Early Changes in Intraocular Pressure After Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty.

PRéCIS:: Adjuvant diclofenac and apraclonidine eye drop given in conjunction with selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT) do not significantly impact medium-term intraocular pressure (IOP) reduction compared with placebo, but apraclonidine can be used to blunt immediate postlaser pressure spikes. PURPOSE: There is limited high-grade evidence guiding the choice of eye drops given before and after SLT. The authors chose to measure IOP during the first 24 hours, at 1 week, 6 weeks, and 6 months after SLT, and compare the effect of apraclonidine before SLT and diclofenac after SLT, with placebo. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial, patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension referred for SLT were recruited between 2016 and 2018. Patients were randomized to receive either apraclonidine pre-SLT with placebo post-SLT, placebo pre-SLT with diclofenac post-SLT, or placebo before and after SLT. RESULTS: Sixty eyes from 35 patients were treated with 360-degree SLT. Twenty-four-hour IOP measurements with patient self-monitoring after SLT demonstrated a moderate IOP spike at 1 hour and 2 hours post-SLT in the placebo and diclofenac study arms (mean=+4.05±0.58 mm Hg and +4.47±0.73, respectively, P<0.001 vs. pre-SLT IOP), which was prevented by apraclonidine (mean=-2.41±0.88 mm Hg, P<0.0001 vs. other study arms post-SLT). There were no significant differences between the 3 arms of the study on the long-term IOP reduction achieved by SLT (6 wk: P=0.51, 6 mo: P=0.42). CONCLUSIONS: Neither the use of apraclonidine before SLT nor diclofenac after SLT significantly influenced the IOP reduction induced by SLT. Except for a slight and transient reduction in intraocular inflammation, there was no beneficial effect of diclofenac on early IOP changes or the degree of patient discomfort relative to placebo.

Early panretinal photocoagulation for ERG-verified ischaemic central retinal vein occlusion.

PURPOSE: We have previously shown that photopic cone b-wave implicit time ≥ 35.0 ms in 30 Hz flicker electroretinography (ERG) predicts ocular neovascularization (NV) in central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). Here, we evaluate the effects of early panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) in patients with ERG-verified ischaemic CRVO. METHODS: Patients with CRVO, admitted to our department between 2000 and 2008, were classified as having ischaemic or non-ischaemic CRVO based on the ERG-results. In a first group of 71 patients, 18 patients had ischaemic CRVO and were assigned to standard treatment that is regular examinations and PRP as soon as NV was found. In a consecutive group of 65 patients, 18 patients with ischaemic CRVO received early PRP. In this group, ERG was performed on average 6 weeks after the first symptoms of CRVO. The patients underwent PRP as soon as possible after the ERG-examination, and the treatment was completed within one to three sessions. RESULTS: Twelve patients in the standard treatment group developed neovascular glaucoma during a mean period of 5 months after the CRVO. In the early treatment group, one patient developed subtle iris rubeosis 7 months after PRP. Otherwise, none of the patients showed any signs of ocular NV, and the intraocular pressure remained within normal range, without the necessity of supplementary medication, during a mean follow-up of 41 months. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that ocular NV in patients with CRVO can be predicted by photopic 30 Hz flicker ERG and that early PRP in ERG-verified ischaemic CRVO could be suggested as standard treatment.