OCULAR HYPOTENSIVE EFFECT OF PILOCARPINE BEFORE AND AFTER ARGON-LASERTRABECULOPLASTY

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the hypotensive resp onse of human glaucomatous eyes to 1% pilocarpine solution before and after argon laser trabeculoplasty. Methods: We designed a prospective, 'repeated measures' study comparing the ocular hypotensive effect of acutely administered 1% pilocarpine solution in 30 medically uncontrol led glaucomatous eyes, before and after argon laser trabeculoplasty. R esults: The pilocarpine-induced IOP decrease was 3.6 +/- 0.59 mmHg bef ore argon laser trabeculoplasty and 1.8 +/- 0.53 mmHg after laser ther apy. In both instances, the pilocarpine hypotensive effect was signifi cantly correlated with pretreatment IOP (p = 0.02, r = 0.41 before arg on laser trabeculoplasty, and p = 0.003, r = 0.52 after argon laser tr abeculoplasty). We built a 'repeated measurements ANCOVA' model, and f ound no statistically significant difference between the pilocarpine I OP lowering effect before and after argon laser trabeculoplasty (p = 0 .4). Conclusion: Argon laser trabeculoplasty does not modify the IOP l owering effect of 1% pilocarpine solution.