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The following is a summary of “Pupillary Peaking & Presence of Dysphotopsias Following Glaucoma Tube Shunt Surgery,” published in the October 2024 issue of Ophthalmology by Gonzalez Martinez et al. 

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to define the occurrence of pupillary peaking and dysphotopsias in eyes following glaucoma drainage device (GDD) surgery. 

They examined 68 patients with GDD, 45 patients without, and 50 control patients at a single academic center. Eligible patients who met the inclusion criteria were studied. All participants completed an 8-item dysphotopsia questionnaire and were matched by age. Photographs of the pupils were taken to evaluate pupillary peaking, and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was utilized for statistical analysis.  

The results showed that among the 68 patients with GDD, 25 (36.76%) exhibited pupillary abnormalities, with peaking most frequently directed toward the tube entry superotemporally, while 50 (73.53%) reported 1 or more dysphotopsias. In those reporting dysphotopsias, the occurrence of lines, crescents, ghost images, and shadows was significantly higher compared to the patients without GDD and control patients (P < .01). Additionally, the best-corrected visual acuity was lower in the GDD group than in the glaucoma and control groups (P < .001).  

They concluded that patients receiving GDD had pupillary abnormalities, and nearly 3 -quarters reported 1 or more dysphotopsias compared to the patients without GDD and an age-matched control group, highlighting the need for awareness of the complications in GDD surgery. 

Source: tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08820538.2024.2421475