Hypotony maculopathy: Improvement of visual acuity after 7 years

PURPOSE: To describe a 79-year-old Caucasian male with a history of hypoton y maculopathy for 7 years after cataract extraction with subsequent recover y of normal intraocular pressure and improvement of visual acuity. METHODS: Interventional case report. The patient developed an intraocular p ressure ranging from 0 to 5 mm Hg after cataract surgery. He developed hypo tony maculopathy, and the visual acuity declined to 20/200. On evaluation 7 years later, a superior cyclodialysis cleft was detected and treated with the argon laser. RESULTS: Closure of the cleft with argon laser was successful. The intraocu lar pressure stabilized at 17 to 20 mm Hg, and the visual acuity improved t o 20/30. CONCLUSION: The development of hypotony maculopathy leads to impairment of visual acuity. This case demonstrates that visual acuity can improve after resolution of the maculopathy even after several years of hypotony. (C) 200 1 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.