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The British Journal of Ophthalmology logoLink to The British Journal of Ophthalmology
. 1999 Feb;83(2):151–156. doi: 10.1136/bjo.83.2.151

Filtration procedures supplemented with mitomycin C in the management of childhood glaucoma

A Azuara-Blanco 1, R Wilson 1, G Spaeth 1, C Schmidt 1, J Augsburger 1
PMCID: PMC1722934  PMID: 10396189

Abstract

AIMS—To evaluate the outcome of filtering procedures supplemented with mitomycin C in children with glaucoma.
METHODS—All patients aged 17 or younger with glaucoma who underwent filtering surgery supplemented with mitomycin C at a tertiary care centre (n=21) during a 5 year interval (1992 and 1996) were included. One eye for each patient was entered into the analysis. The postoperative intraocular pressure (IOP), use of antiglaucoma medications, clinical stability of glaucoma, complications, and visual acuity were retrospectively evaluated. Kaplan-Meier survival curves were used to estimate the probability of success.
RESULTS—At the time of surgery mean age was 5.7 (SD 5.0) years. The most common diagnoses were trabeculodysgenesis (n=6) and aphakic glaucoma (n=8). Mean IOP before surgery was 35.7 (10.5) mm Hg. Average length of follow up was 18.6 (14.7) months. The probability of having IOP less than 21 mm Hg with no antiglaucoma medications and with clinically stable glaucoma 1 year after surgery was 76.9% in phakic eyes (n=13) and 0% in aphakic eyes (n=8). A phakic patient with Sturge-Weber's syndrome had choroidal effusion after surgery that resolved spontaneously. In the aphakic group one patient had retinal detachment and another developed an encapsulated bleb. Visual acuity deteriorated in one patient.
CONCLUSION—A guarded filtration procedure with mitomycin C is relatively successful in phakic children with glaucoma, but unsuccessful in aphakic ones.

 Keywords: mitomycin C; filtration procedure; children; glaucoma

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Figure 1  .

Figure 1  

Probability of absolute success at different follow up times. The horizontal axis represents time since surgery (trabeculectomy with mitomycin C) and the vertical axis represents the probability of success, expressed as a percentage. Success was defined as a postoperative IOP less than 21 mm Hg with no antiglaucoma medications, with apparently stable glaucoma, and absence of severe complications.

Figure 2  .

Figure 2  

Probability of relative success at different follow up times. The horizontal axis represents time since surgery (trabeculectomy with mitomycin C) and the vertical axis represents the probability of success, expressed as a percentage. Success was defined as no performance of or recommendation of further glaucoma surgery, and absence of severe complications associated with the filtering surgery.

Figure 3  .

Figure 3  

Probability of absolute success at different follow up times according to lens status. The horizontal axis represents time since surgery (trabeculectomy with mitomycin C) and the vertical axis represents the probability of success, expressed as a percentage. Success was defined as a postoperative IOP less than 21 mm Hg with no antiglaucoma medications, with apparently stable glaucoma, and absence of severe complications.

Figure 4  .

Figure 4  

Probability of relative success at different follow up times according to lens status. The horizontal axis represents time since surgery (trabeculectomy with mitomycin C) and the vertical axis represents the probability of success, expressed as a percentage. Success was defined as no performance of or recommendation of further glaucoma surgery, and absence of severe complications associated with the filtering surgery.

Selected References

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