Descriptive Study of Conjunctival Cysts: A Rare Complication after Strabismus Surgery

Conjunctival cyst is one of the uncommon complications of strabismus surgery. It is important for surgeons and patients to be aware of and take precautions to minimize the risk. This study aimed to explore the clinical manifestations, etiology, and prognosis of conjunctival cyst at the operative site after strabismus surgery.

The data of 1675 patients were included in our retrospective analysis, who underwent strabismus surgery at the Xiangya Hospital of Central South University between 2010 and 2016. During the postoperative follow-up, conjunctival cyst was found in 7 cases (7 eyes; 0.4% detective rate of all cases). The clinical characteristics, prognosis, and follow-up data were recorded together with the results of pathological and bacteriological tests.

Seven patients between the age of 3 years 8 months and 39 years, with the mean age of 12.71 years (12.71 ± 12.59, years of age), were included in the study. Strabismus surgery affected 13 recti, 8 medial and 5 lateral recti, and 3 obliques (all inferior oblique). Conjunctival cyst was detected in seven patients between 10 days and 6 months postoperatively (42.57 ± 61.11, detected days). In six cases, the cyst was detected at the nasal (3 cases) or temporal side (other 3 cases), and at the fornix in one case. Four out of 7 patients underwent cyst excision, and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was detected in one patient.

Conjunctival cyst is a rare postoperative complication of strabismus surgery, conjunctival epithelium implantation should be the primary cause, and infection might exaggerate the situation. A longer duration of the surgical procedure could increase the possibility of infection, which could be accompanied with a greater tendency to the occurrence of conjunctival cyst.