The management of complicated glaucoma

Evaluation of primary Ahmed Glaucoma valve implantation in post-traumatic angle recession glaucoma in Indian eyes

PURPOSE

To highlight the efficacy of primary Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation in angle recession glaucoma following blunt ocular trauma in Indian eyes.

DESIGN

A retrospective analytical study.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This study included 52 patients of angle recession glaucoma, who presented between Mar 2006 to Feb 2016, out of which 38 patients had undergone primary AGV implantation, while the rest were managed with topical anti-glaucoma medications. Preoperative data included age, sex, type and mode of injury, duration of injury, assessment of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and intraocular pressure (IOP). The extent of angle recession was observed by gonioscopy. The intraocular pressure, visual acuity, and the number of anti-glaucoma medications were measured postoperatively. The success of this technique was analyzed by using a Kaplan-Meier cumulative survival curve.

RESULTS

Following AGV implantation, the mean IOP was significantly reduced to 8.7 ± 2.2 at 1st day, 10.1 ± 2.2 at 7th day, 14.2 ± 3.4 at 3rd month, 15.6 ± 3.7 at 1 year, and 15.6 ± 3.6 at 3rd-year follow-up showing statistically significant values (p < 0.001) at each visit. The IOP was successfully controlled at the last follow-up without topical treatment. Mean BCVA at 3 years -post-AGV was 0.144 (0.151) (LogMAR) which was statistically significant (p < 0.001) as compared to the mean BCVA of 0.898 (± 0.205) LogMAR units at presentation. The success rate by Kaplan-Meier survival curve analysis was 90% at the mean follow-up duration of 29.47 ± 3.39 months. Overall surgical complications were noted in the form of prolonged hypotony, hyphema in 7 patients (13.5%).

CONCLUSIONS

In medically uncontrolled post-traumatic angle recession glaucoma, primary AGV Implantation is a safe and effective surgical procedure with lesser complication rates providing long-term IOP control in a younger population.

Evolution of Glaucoma Surgery in the Last 25 Years

Glaucoma is a chronic neurodegenerative optic nerve disease. Treatment is intended to prevent the development and progression of optic nerve damage by lowering intraocular pressure (IOP). Current therapy options include topical/systemic drugs that increase aqueous humor outflow or decrease its production, laser therapy that targets the trabecular meshwork and ciliary body, and incisional surgery. Trabeculectomy as well as glaucoma drainage devices are often performed, given their high efficacy in lowering IOP. However, the significant risk profile with potential sight-threatening complications has motivated glaucoma experts to create alternative surgeries to treat glaucoma. Minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) is defined by: micro-invasive approach, minimal tissue trauma, high safety profile, and rapid recovery. The new devices might promote an earlier transition from medical/laser therapy to surgery, and therefore decrease the side effects associated with long-term use of topical medications as well as deal with the limited adherence of patients to their regimens. This review presents the surgical options available for glaucoma patients and their evolution over the past 25 years.

[Post-penetrating keratoplasty glaucoma management: report of 73 cases]

PURPOSE

To report our experience in the therapeutic management of post-penetrating keratoplasty glaucoma.

INTRODUCTION

Post-penetrating keratoplasty (PK) glaucoma is a true threat to visual prognosis. Therapeutic modalities are many, but the absence of a well-defined decision tree and the variable results of the various techniques renders management very difficult.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This is a retrospective study including 73 eyes of 71 patients undergoing a penetrating keratoplasty. Patients who developed post-operative ocular hypertension were treated first with eye drops. In the case of failure, surgical procedures were recommended including trabeculectomy or glaucoma drainage devices. The intraocular pressure (IOP) assessed with applanation tonometer, side effects and graft failure were monitored.

RESULTS

The first medical treatment used for all patients was a betablocker, which allowed control of intraocular pressure in 80.6 % of eyes. Ahmed glaucoma valve was used in two cases with success and without graft failure. Trabeculectomy was necessary for five patients, three of whom developed immunological graft rejection within 6 to 9 months. We also observed that late ocular hypertension was statistically related to anatomic graft failure, independently of other preoperative factors.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Although hypotensive medication is still the first treatment for ocular hypertension after penetrating keratoplasty, a surgical procedure is sometimes required. Glaucoma drainage devices and trabeculectomy are widely practiced, leading to good outcomes, with the risk of rejection lower in cases involving mitomycin C. Cyclodestructive procedures should be reserved for surgical failures with significant visual loss.

Keeping an eye on myocilin: a complex molecule associated with primary open-angle glaucoma susceptibility

MYOC encodes a secretary glycoprotein of 504 amino acids named myocilin. MYOC is the first gene to be linked to juvenile open-angle glaucoma (JOAG) and some forms of adult-onset primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG). The gene was identified as an up-regulated molecule in cultured trabecular meshwork (TM) cells after treatment with dexamethasone and was originally referred to as trabecular meshwork-inducible glucocorticoid response (TIGR). Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP), due to decreased aqueous outflow, is the strongest known risk factor for POAG. Increasing evidence showed that the modulation of the wild-type (wt) myocilin protein expression is not causative of glaucoma while some misfolded and self-assembly aggregates of mutated myocilin may be associated with POAG in related or unrelated populations. The etiology of the disease remains unclear. Consequently, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlyingPOAG is required to obtain early diagnosis, avoid potential disease progression, and develop new therapeutic strategies. In the present study, we review and discuss the most relevant studies regarding structural characterizations, expressions, molecular interactions, putative functions of MYOC gene and/or its corresponding protein in POAG etiology.