Role of oral acetazolamide in refractory glaucomatous deep cup-related maculopathy

Abstract

A 39-year-old man, a known case of primary open-angle glaucoma on treatment, presented with defective central vision in the left eye. On examination, his intraocular pressure (IOP) was 26 mmHg in the right eye and 30 mmHg in the left eye with best-corrected visual acuity of 6/12 in each eye. Fundus examination showed glaucomatous optic neuropathy in both eyes and macular thickening in the left eye. Optical coherence tomography of the left eye showed macular detachment with peripapillary retinoschisis and a hyporeflective tract connecting schitic retina and the deep cup in the absence of an optic disc pit. A diagnosis of glaucomatous deep cup maculopathy (DCM) was made in the left eye, which persisted despite well-controlled IOP and peripapillary laser photocoagulation. The addition of oral acetazolamide (250 mg twice daily) to his regimen resulted in prompt resolution of maculopathy. Glaucomatous DCM is relatively rare, and its primary management is adequate IOP control with antiglaucoma medications. Including oral acetazolamide in the antiglaucoma regimen can help in faster resolution of maculopathy due to its additional effect on retinal pigment epithelial pump induction and stabilization of the pressure gradient.

Keywords

• advanced glaucomatous cupping
• glaucomatous deep cup-related maculopathy
• peripapillary barrage laser
• peripapillary retinoschisis