Pupil block glaucoma in phakic and pseudophakic patients after vitrectomy with silicone oil injection

PURPOSE: To describe pupil block glaucoma in phakic and pseudophakic patien ts after vitrectomy with silicone oil injection. DESIGN: Interventional case series. METHODS: Cases were collected from January 1997 to July 2000 from three ter tiary referral centers. RESULTS: Seven phakic patients (seven eyes) and one pseudophakic patient (o ne eye) presented 1 to 90 days after vitrectomy and silicone oil injection with intraocular pressures of 36 to 70 mm Hg. Five patients had an observed or potential weakness of the iris-ens diaphragm. Treatment with Nd:YAG-las er peripheral iridotomy or inferior iridectomy provided a temporary reducti on in intraocular pressure for some patients, but all eventually required r emoval of silicone oil. CONCLUSION: Pupil block glaucoma after silicone oil injection is well recog nized in aphakic patients, but ophthalmologists should be aware that it can occur in phakic and pseudophakic patients, particularly in complicated cas es and patients with a weakness of the iris-lens diaphragm. (Am J Ophthalmo l 2001;132: 414-416. (C) 2001 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved. ).