Bleb rupture following filtering surgery with mitomycin-C: clinicopathologic correlations

A 91-year-old woman with a complete rupture of her mitomycin-C filtration bleb associated with eye rubbing while crying was examined. An 18mm soft contact lens was placed preoperatively to re-form the anterior chamber and the patient underwent a conjunctival advancement. Histopathology of the free conjunctival specimen revealed a stratified squamous epithelium with marked attentuation of the subepithelial tissue in the area treated with mitomycin-C. Bleb rupture may be associated with minimal physical trauma following guarded filtration surgery. Successful visual rehabilitation is possible with conjunctival advancement, yet long-term survival of the bleb is poor.