A randomized study of trabeculectomy and subconjunctival administration of fluorouracil in primary glaucomas

Forty-one adult patients with primary open angle glaucoma and nine adult patients with chronic angle closure glaucoma underwent trabeculectomy in one eye each. Twenty-one eyes with primary open angle glaucoma and four with chronic angle closure glaucoma were randomly assigned to receive four to six subconjunctival injections of fluorouracil for 10 days after surgery. Twenty-five control eyes did not receive fluorouracil. Intraocular pressure was 20 mm Hg or lower in 24 eyes (96%) in the treatment group after mean follow-up of 17.8 months and in 19 control eyes (76%) after mean follow-up of 17.5 months (P less than .05). Encapsulated bleb developed in three (12%) of the fluorouracil-treated eyes vs two (8%) of the control eyes. A few injections of fluorouracil adequately inhibited scarring. This might be explained by its toxic effect on existing fibroblasts. Overall, trabeculectomy with injection of fluorouracil was found to be efficacious and relatively safe. Further studies regarding late complications are required.