Secondary Epiretinal Membrane After Trabeculectomy
Luísa Vieira1, Ana Cabugueira, Bárbara Borges
1*Department of Ophthalmology, Central Lisbon Hospital Center †Institute of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Lisbon ‡NOVA Medical School, Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Journal of Glaucoma
|September 24, 2015
Summary
Trabeculectomy surgery for glaucoma may increase the risk of developing epiretinal membranes (ERM). Further research is needed to understand this association between glaucoma surgery and ERM.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Glaucoma Research
- Retinal Imaging
Background:
- Primary open-angle glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness.
- Trabeculectomy is a common surgical procedure to lower intraocular pressure in glaucoma patients.
- Epiretinal membranes (ERM) can affect visual acuity and are a known complication in some ocular conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the incidence of epiretinal membranes (ERM) in eyes that have undergone trabeculectomy for primary open-angle glaucoma.
- To assess the potential link between trabeculectomy and the development or progression of ERM.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 50 eyes from 40 patients who underwent trabeculectomy with a minimum 6-month follow-up.
- Ophthalmologic examinations and spectral-domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) were utilized for assessment.
- Exclusion criteria included prior surgical/laser treatments or other ocular pathologies besides glaucoma and ERM.
Main Results:
- Post-trabeculectomy, 18% of eyes developed preretinal macular fibrosis and 38% showed cellophane macular reflex.
- Among eyes with preoperative SD-OCT, 18.8% developed ERM and 25% progressed from cellophane macular reflex to preretinal macular fibrosis post-surgery.
- No significant difference in ERM frequency was observed based on antimetabolite use (P=0.08) or surgery type (simple vs. combined) (P=0.09).
Conclusions:
- Trabeculectomy may be a predisposing factor for the onset and progression of epiretinal membranes.
- The relationship between glaucoma surgery and ERM warrants further investigation.
- Additional research is necessary to elucidate the mechanisms underlying this association.
