title: The effect of glaucoma filtering surgery on corneal endothelial cell density.
abstract: Corneal endothelial cell counts were obtained preoperatively and 3 months postoperatively in 46 eyes undergoing glaucoma filtering surgery. Average central endothelial cell loss in eyes without postoperative iridocorneal touch was 1.6%. In eyes with iridocorneal touch (Spaeth's grades 1 and 2), the average cell counts decreased by 7.1% and 9.3%, respectively. The average loss for combined grades 1 and 2 (8.1%) approached statistical significance (P +/- .06). The average loss in two patients with corneolenticular touch (Spaeth's grade 3) was greater than 50%. These findings suggest that early postoperative iridocorneal touch is unlikely to lead to corneal compromise in most eyes, but that corneolenticular touch can result in severe endothelial cell loss.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Bethesda Naval Hospital, Md.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Skuta
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Lindenmuth
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Musch
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Bergstrom
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000473:pathology; D002452:Cell Count; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D015812:Glaucoma, Angle-Closure / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007498:Iris / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014130:Trabeculectomy