[Study of the corneal endothelium after glaucoma surgery].
OBJECTIVE
To analyze the changes suffered by corneal endothelium in patients who underwent a macrotrabeculectomy.


METHODS
A prospective study was conducted on 35 patients who underwent a macrotrabeculectomy and 21 patients who did not undergo any surgical technique. All the patients suffered chronic open angle-glaucoma and we only studied patients between 65 and 75 years old. Central corneal endothelium was studied with a specular microscope before surgery and three months after it, analyzing endothelial density, coefficient of variation and hexagonal endothelial cells.


RESULTS
The initial cellular count in the operated group was 2361.9 SD 400 and the final was 2211.9 SD 380 cells/mm(2). The decrease of cellular density was 150 cells/mm(2) (6.35%). In the not operated group the initial cellular count was 2313.4 SD 241 and the final was 2299.2 SD 241 cells/mm(2). A decrease of 14 cells/mm(2) was observed. This difference was statistically significant (p=0.035). No statistically significant differences were observed in coefficient of variation and hexagonal endothelial cells.


CONCLUSIONS
A decrease of cellular count after three months of macrotrabeculectomy was observed and they are similar to previous studies with conventional trabeculectomies, clearly less than observed with mitomycin use. No statistically significant differences were observed in coefficient of variation and hexagonal endothelial cells.
Lázaro García
C
C
Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, España.
Castillo Gómez
A
A
García Feijóo
J
J
Macías Benítez
J M
JM
García Sánchez
J
J
D000368:Aged; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014130:Trabeculectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*