Effect of commercial dilating agents on laser flare-cell measurements.

OBJECTIVE

To compare the effect of tropicamide alone and tropicamide-phenylephrine on anterior chamber flare and cell measurements obtained with a laser flare-cell meter.

DESIGN

Prospective study.

SETTING

Gimbel Eye Centre, Calgary.

SUBJECTS

Twenty white subjects (10 with blue irides and 10 with brown irides) aged 24 to 45 (mean 30.2) years without any known systemic or ocular disease.

INTERVENTIONS

Laser flare-cell measurements were obtained 30 minutes after pupillary dilation with 1% tropicamide in one eye and a combination drop of 0.8% tropicamide and 5% phenylephrine in the other eye. The average of five readings was taken for each eye.

OUTCOME MEASURES

Flare and cell measurements.

RESULTS

There was no statistically significant difference in flare photon count or cell count between the eyes dilated with tropicamide and those dilated with tropicamide-phenylephrine. In addition, iris colour was not found to have a significant effect on flare and cell measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results suggest that pupillary dilation for laser flare-cell measurements can be done with either mydriatic agent in healthy white subjects of any eye colour without significant effects on the measurements. Further study is needed to determine whether the same is true in older subjects.