Ciliary body position variability in glaucoma patients assessed by scleral transillumination

Aim To quantify ciliary body position variability in glaucoma patients in order to determine if scleral transillumination should be used routinely to guide contact probe placement during cyclodestructive Method This was a prospective study with human subjects. One hundred consecutive glaucoma patients attending a glaucoma clinic were recruited between June and November 2006. A fibre optic light was used to identify ciliary body position by transscleral transillumination. The distance between the ciliary body and corneoscleral limbus was measured in the superior, temporal, inferior, and nasal quadrants of eyes using surgical callipers. Results The anterior boundary of the ciliary body was located 1.5-5mm posterior to the corneoscleral limbus. The ciliary body was located significantly more posteriorly in the superior and inferior quadrants compared to the nasal and temporal quadrants. (P<0.001). Ciliary body position was significantly correlated with the mean sphere of the refractive error in phakic patients (r(2) = 0.052; P = 0.047). The ciliary body tended to be located most posteriorly in myopic eyes. Conclusions The distance between the corneoscleral limbus and the ciliary body as identified by transillumination varies significantly in different quadrants of the Considerable variability was also observed between different patients with glaucoma. Ciliary body transillumination on patients undergoing cyclodestructive procedures may have implications for optimal probe and therapeutic outcome.