Anterior segment parameters after trabeculectomy in pseudoexfoliation glaucoma versus primary open-angle glaucoma.

BACKGROUND

The effects of trabeculectomy on anterior segment parameters have been widely investigated. However, the stabilization time for various glaucoma types after trabeculectomy remains debatable. We investigated the effect of mitomycin C-augmented trabeculectomy on ocular anterior segment parameters in primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PXG) during short-term follow-up using the Pentacam HR.

METHODS

In this retrospective observational study, consecutive patients diagnosed with medically uncontrolled POAG or PXG who underwent MMC-augmented trabeculectomy were recruited. All individuals underwent detailed ocular examinations. All trabeculectomies were performed by a single surgeon using the same technique. Anterior segment parameters, including anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber volume (ACV), anterior chamber angle (ACA), and central corneal thickness (CCT) were measured using the Pentacam HR, along with intraocular pressure (IOP) using a Goldmann applanation tonometer, pre-operatively and at 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month post-operative visits.

RESULTS

We included 80 patients with a median (range) age of 58.0 (41.0-86.0) years having a nearly similar sex ratio. The study groups were matched according to sex and age (both > 0.05). The group-by-time interaction was significant for CCT and ACV (both < 0.05) but not for IOP, ACD, and ACA (all > 0.05). The mean (standard deviation [SD]) IOP, ACD, and ACA were comparable between groups (all > 0.05) during the 3-month period; however, they changed significantly over time in both groups (all < 0.001). The mean CCT and ACV were comparable between groups at each time point (all > 0.05), except at the 1-month post-operative visit, at which the mean (SD) ACV was significantly lower in the PXG group ( < 0.05). We found a comparable mean (SD) CCT between paired visits in each group (all > 0.05), except for the mean (SD) CCT at 3 months, which was significantly lower than that at the 1-month post-operative visit in the PXG group ( < 0.05). We found a comparable mean (SD) ACV between paired visits in each group (all > 0.05); however, it was significantly lower at the 1-month post-operative versus the baseline visit in both groups and resumed a significantly higher value at the 1-month versus the 1-week visit and at the 3-month versus the 1-month visit in the PXG group (all < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

We observed significant changes in IOP, ACD, and ACA over 3 months after post-augmented trabeculectomy in eyes with POAG and PXG; however, the majority of anterior segment parameters were comparable between the two groups. Further large-scale studies with longer follow-up periods should be conducted to verify the post-operative fluctuations in these parameters in POAG and PXG.