title: The effect of anterior chamber depth on endothelial cell count after filtration surgery.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Glaucoma Consultation Service, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Mass.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Fiore
authors.forename: C U
authors.initials: CU
authors.lastname: Richter
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arzeno
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Arrigg
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Shingleton
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bellows
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Hutchinson
mesh_terms: 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