Neovascular glaucoma following Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy in a patient with diabetes and syphilitic uveitis

A diabetic woman had been suffering from progressively blurry vision in the right eye for 1 year after cataract surgery. Slit lamp examination revealed bilateral band keratopathy with quiescent anteriorchamber reaction, an intumescent cataract in the left eye, and dense posterior capsular opacity in the right eye. Capsulotomy was performed, but this led to neovascular glaucoma. Because of a refractory elevation in intraocular pressure, trabeculectomy with mitomycin C treatment, vitrectomy with panretinal photocoagulation, and intravitreal injection of bevacizumab were performed. A positive rapid plasma reagin test and a positive Treponema pallidum hemagglutination assay led to the impression of syphilitic uveitis, and the patient was treated with intravenous penicillin for 2 weeks. The visual acuity of the right eye was 0.1 at the 12th-month follow up. This case shows that neovascular glaucoma may present as a complication of capsulotomy in uveitic/diabetic eyes.