To the Editor.
—The ruby, argon, and neodymium-YAG lasers have each been used as an alternative to surgical iridectomy for the purpose of creating an opening in the iris. The semiconductor diode laser is a small, portable, light-weight laser that uses standard current and is air cooled. This instrument has been used in industry (eg, in telecommunications and compact disk players), and its potential ophthalmologic uses have only recently been examined. We report the use of a diode laser to perform a peripheral iridotomy.
Report of a Case.
—A 58-year-old brown-eyed man was referred for "narrow angles." The patient denied any symptoms of angle closure glaucoma. Visual acuity was 20/25-1 OD and 20/20-1 OS. Intraocular pressures were 12 mm Hg OD and 13 mm Hg OS, and gonioscopy revealed only anterior trabecular meshwork bilaterally. The anterior chambers were 3 to 4 corneal thicknesses centrally and less than 1/8