title: Assessing the need for posterior sclerotomy at the time of filtering surgery in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Posterior sclerotomy has been recommended for prevention of intraoperative choroidal hemorrhages and choroidal effusions in patients with Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS) or Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber (KTW) syndrome undergoing glaucoma filtering surgery. In this study, we evaluated this unproven clinical perception.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective, noncomparative, case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen consecutive patients with SWS or KTW syndrome who underwent glaucoma filtering surgery without prophylactic posterior sclerotomy or other prophylactic measures between January 1973 and March 1997 at a university-based practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  Glaucoma filtering surgery without prophylactic posterior sclerotomy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Incidence of intraoperative and postoperative choroidal effusion, choroidal detachment, or choroidal hemorrhage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No intraoperative choroidal effusion, choroidal detachment, or choroidal hemorrhage occurred in this series. After surgery, 6 patients had a transient choroidal effusion. Surgical drainage was not required in any of them. No suprachoroidal hemorrhages occurred after surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We did not encounter significant intraoperative suprachoroidal hemorrhage, choroidal effusions, or a combination requiring therapeutic intervention in our series. This finding leads us to question the necessity for prophylactic posterior sclerotomy to prevent the occurrence of these complications in patients with SWS and KTW syndrome undergoing glaucoma filtering surgery.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kellogg Eye Center, 1000 Wall Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA. mayae@umich.edu
authors.forename: Maya
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eibschitz-Tsimhoni
authors.forename: Paul R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Lichter
authors.forename: Monte A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Del Monte
authors.forename: Steven M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Archer
authors.forename: David C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Musch
authors.forename: Robert M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Schertzer
authors.forename: Sayoko E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Moroi
mesh_terms: D015862:Choroid Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012599:Sclerostomy; D013341:Sturge-Weber Syndrome / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D014130:Trabeculectomy / Q000379:methods*; D014600:Utilization Review / Q000706:statistics & numerical data