Bilateral spontaneous filtering blebs

Management of an inadvertent late filtering bleb and hypotony in a scleral fixated intraocular lens implantation

PURPOSE

To report a case of inadvertent cystic filtering bleb in a patient with scleral fixated intraocular lens (SFIOL) implantation 7 years after initial procedure.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 14-year-old boy underwent lensectomy, vitrectomy and a sutured rigid SFIOL for microspherophakia in the right eye. Seven years later, the patient presented with hypotony related ocular changes. Examination revealed an inadvertent cystic filtering bleb at the scleral section. Anterior segment optical coherence tomography (ASOCT) revealed gap in inner lips of the scleral wound, bridged by a thin strip of scleral tissue. A conservative management with bandage contact lens (BCL) failed after an initial improvement. Injection of trypan blue dye in the anterior chamber confirmed the presence and site of wound filtration. Surgical closure of the fistula was done and patient showed both structural and visual improvement.

CONCLUSION

Meticulous wound construction and water tight closure at the end of the surgery can avoid such complications. ASOCT can be helpful in diagnosing the area of fistula. A conservative management with BCL can help by tamponading the filtering bleb. However, in unresponsive cases, surgical closure of the fistula is recommended to improve the hypotony-related changes.