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Quantitative evaluation of iris convexity in primary angle closure.

Nonaka A, Iwawaki T, Kikuchi M, Fujihara M, Nishida A, Kurimoto Y

Department of Ophthalmology, Kobe City General Hospital, Chuo-ku, Kobe, Japan. a-nonaka@pb3.so-net.ne.jp <a-nonaka@pb3.so-net.ne.jp>

PURPOSE: In eyes with primary angle closure (PAC), we quantitatively evaluated anterior bowing of the iris by means of ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). DESIGN: Retrospective, observational, and consecutive case series. METHODS: A total of 203 phakic eyes with PAC that had not undergone any surgical or laser treatment were included. Using UBM, we measured anterior chamber depth (ACD) and iris convexity (IC): the maximum distance from the posterior surface of the iris to the iris plane passing through the pupillary margin of the iris and iris root. RESULTS: The average IC was 0.22 +/- 0.1 mm, although there was considerable individual variation. The IC value was correlated weakly, albeit significantly, with age (r = 0.22, P < .01), and strongly with ACD (r = -0.57, P < .0001). CONCLUSIONS: In eyes with PAC, older age and a more shallow ACD appear to be important causes of increased forward bowing of the iris resulting from pupillary block.

Published 27 March 2007 in Am J Ophthalmol, 143(4): 695-7.
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