Glaucoma After Open-globe Injury at a Tertiary Care University Hospital: Cumulative Causes and Management

To investigate causes and treatment modalities of traumatic glaucoma after open-globe injury (OGI).

The medical records of all patients with postrepair follow-up of OGI at a tertiary care university hospital from January 1996 to December 2010 were reviewed. These patients had persistent elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) of >21 mm Hg at 2 consecutive visits, with or without optic disc damages.

Over the 14-year study period, 41 eyes of 41 patients with repaired OGI that developed glaucoma were identified. In the early stage (within 1 mo), high IOP levels occurred owing to the presence of unremoved lens particles in 11 patients (26.8%), inflammation in 6 patients (14.6%), and hyphema in 3 patients (7.3%). In the intermediate stage (2 to 6 mo), the IOP increased owing to the presence of synechial angle closure in 9 patients (21.9%) and ghost cells in 3 patients (7.3%). In the late stage (>6 mo), the IOP rose owing to the presence of unremoved lens particles in 2 patients (4.8%), angle recession in 4 patients (9.7%), and synechial angle closure in 3 patients (7.3%). Surgical interventions included trabeculectomy in 9 eyes (22%), lens aspiration in 9 eyes (22%), cyclophotocoagulation (CPC) in 5 eyes (12.2%), anterior chamber washout in 3 eyes (7.3%), and tube surgery in 2 eyes (4.9%).

Traumatic glaucoma is not uncommon long-term complication after OGI. It is important to inspect the association between the initial cause and achieving a successful treatment. Surgical intervention may be crucial in the majority of cases.