Factors Impacting Outcomes and the Time to Recovery From Malignant Glaucoma

To identify factors associated with the successful treatment of malignant glaucoma (MG).

Retrospective case series.

Setting: single institution; study population: 64 eyes (55 subjects) with MG; observation procedure(s): chart review; main outcome measures: anatomy, intraocular pressure (IOP), best visual acuity (BVA).

87.5% (n=56/64) of eyes with MG required surgical intervention. Vitrectomy was more likely to be successful in eyes with a history of <3 incisional surgeries, <3 glaucoma drops, or IOP ≤30 mm Hg (P < .05). If vitrectomy was performed within 30 days, recovery of anatomy, BVA, and IOP occurred sooner (P < .05). IOP reduction was greater in subjects treated with oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (P = .016) or Nd:YAG laser hyaloidotomy (P = .007), and without a history of MG (P = .007). Time to maximal improvement was significantly longer for IOP and BVA than anatomy (P < .001). Treatment of MG with an oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitor hastened anatomic recovery (P = .01). Time to improvement in BVA was significantly faster in men and African Americans (P < .05). Time to maximal reduction in IOP occurred sooner in eyes that underwent anterior chamber reformation in clinic (P < .002). Trabeculectomy surgery prior to MG was associated with prolonged recovery of anatomy, BVA, and IOP (P < .05).

Earlier vitrectomy may shorten recovery times for MG. Nd:YAG laser hyaloidotomy and oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors may lead to greater IOP reduction. The time to maximal improvement in IOP and BVA may be longer than the time to anatomic resolution. Although trabeculectomy may impede time to recovery from MG, oral carbonic anhydrase inhibitors may shorten the time to anatomic recovery and anterior chamber reformation may hasten IOP recovery.