The effect of anterior chamber depth on endothelial cell count after filtration surgery.
Eighteen patients undergoing glaucoma filtration surgery underwent specular microscopic examination 1 day prior to surgery and 4 to 6 months after surgery. Patients were evaluated postoperatively for the presence of iridocorneal or lenticular-corneal touch, anterior chamber depth, and inflammation. Ten eyes that maintained their anterior chamber following glaucoma filtration surgery did not have a significant decrease in corneal endothelial cell density. However, eight eyes that developed a shallow anterior chamber with iridocorneal touch had a mean (+/- SD) decrease of 265 +/- 185 cells (12.4%) peripherally and 250 +/- 243 cells (11.6%) centrally in corneal endothelial cell count. None of the patients with iridocorneal touch developed corneal edema after a mean follow-up of 44.4 +/- 18.0 months. Iridocorneal touch after glaucoma filtration surgery is associated with loss of endothelial cells yet appears to be well tolerated by the cornea.
Fiore
P M
PM
Glaucoma Consultation Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
Richter
C U
CU
Arzeno
G
G
Arrigg
C A
CA
Shingleton
B J
BJ
Bellows
A R
AR
Hutchinson
B T
BT
D000368:Aged; D000867:Anterior Chamber / Q000473:pathology*; D002387:Cataract Extraction; D002452:Cell Count; D015715:Corneal Edema / Q000209:etiology; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011184:Postoperative Period