Blindness following bleb-related infection in open angle glaucoma.

Abstract

PURPOSE:

To estimate the risk of blindness following bleb-related infection after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C in open angle glaucoma, utilizing data obtained from two prospective multicenter studies.

METHODS:

The incidence of bleb-related infection in open angle glaucoma after the first or second glaucoma surgery was calculated using a Kaplan-Meier analysis and data from the Collaborative Bleb-related Infection Incidence and Treatment Study (CBIITS). The rate of blindness following bleb-related infection was calculated using data from the Japan Glaucoma Society Survey of Bleb-related Infection (JGSSBI). Finally, the rate of blindness following bleb-related infection after filtering surgery was estimated based on the above two data sets. Blindness was defined as an eye with a visual acuity of 0.04 or less.

RESULTS:

The incidences of development of bleb-related infection at 5 years were 2.6 ± 0.7 % (calculated cumulative incidence ± standard error) for all infections and 0.9 ± 0.4 % for endophthalmitis in all cases in the CBIITS data. The rates of blindness in the JGSSBI data were 14 % for the total cases with bleb-related infection and 30 % for the endophthalmitis subgroup. The rate of blindness developing within 5 years following trabeculectomy was estimated to be approximately 0.24-0.36 %.

CONCLUSIONS:

The rate of blindness following bleb-related infection within 5 years after trabeculectomy is considerable and thus careful consideration must be given to the indication for trabeculectomy and the selection of surgical techniques.

• Authors: Hiroki Yamada, Akira Sawada, Yasuaki Kuwayama, Tetsuya Yamamoto
• Journal: Japanese journal of ophthalmology (Jpn J Ophthalmol) Vol. 58 Issue 6 Pg. 490-5 (Nov 2014) ISSN: 1613-2246 [Electronic] Japan
• PMID: 25249179 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Multicenter Study)

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Blindness (diagnosis, epidemiology)
• Databases, Factual
• Female
• Glaucoma, Open-Angle (surgery)
• Humans
• Incidence
• Japan (epidemiology)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Prospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Surgical Wound Infection (diagnosis, etiology)
• Surgically-Created Structures
• Trabeculectomy
• Visual Acuity
• Young Adult