Aqueous shunts for intractable glaucoma in infants.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the long-term outcome of aqueous shunts in the treatment of infantile glaucoma refractory to conventional treatment.


METHODS
The records of all patients up to 3 years of age managed with aqueous shunts for uncontrolled glaucoma between November 1990 and November 1996 were retrospectively reviewed. Ten eyes of 6 patients were included in the study.


RESULTS
The mean preoperative intraocular pressure (IOP) was 29.75 +/- 4.15 (mm Hg; SD), with none of the eyes on antiglaucoma medication. Postoperatively, the mean IOP was 18.25 +/- 5.34 (mm Hg; SD) at a mean follow up of 50 +/- 25.6 (SD) months with 7 eyes on topical antiglaucoma medication. At the final follow up, 6 eyes were considered successfully controlled without reintervention, 2 more were controlled after shunt revision, and 2 were considered failures.


CONCLUSIONS
Aqueous shunts were relatively effective in this series of infants with recalcitrant glaucoma.
Pereira
Mary Lucy M
ML
William and Anna Goldberg Glaucoma Service and Research Laboratory Wills Eye Hospital, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107, USA.
Araujo
Silvana V
SV
Wilson
Richard P
RP
Azuara-Blanco
Augusto
A
Moster
Marlene R
MR
Schmidt
Courtland M
CM
D001082:Aqueous Humor / Q000378:metabolism; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000151:congenital* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000601:surgery*; D020327:Glaucoma Drainage Implants; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D019919:Prosthesis Implantation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome