Anterior chamber proliferative membrane interception (AC-PMI)-enhanced trabeculectomy versus trabeculectomy for treating neovascular glaucoma: protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is an irreversible blinding eye disease worldwide and is classified as one of the refractory glaucoma conditions, severely impacting visual function and vision. Unfortunately, effective surgical interventions to improve the prognosis of NVG patients are currently lacking. The study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of anterior chamber proliferative membrane interception (AC-PMI)-enhanced trabeculectomy compared to the traditional trabeculectomy. METHODS: AC-PMI enhanced trabeculectomy versus trabeculectomy for the treatment of NVG is a single-center, prospective, double-arms, and randomized controlled trial of superior efficacy, which will involve 100 NVG inpatients. Patients will be randomly assigned into two groups using the random number table method. One group will undergo trabeculectomy using anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (Anti-VEGF) preoperatively and mitomycin C intraoperatively, while the other group will undergo AC-PMI enhanced trabeculectomy with the same medications (Anti-VEGF and mitomycin C). The patients will be followed up at the baseline and 1 day, 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, 18 months, and 24 months postoperatively. Meanwhile, we will collect the demographics, characteristics, and examination results and monitor any occurrences of adverse events at each follow-up time. DISCUSSION: This is an efficacy study of a novel surgical approach for treating neovascular glaucoma. Building upon conventional filtering surgeries, this approach introduces an additional step involving the interception of the proliferative membrane to effectively halt the growth of fibrovascular tissue. This study aims to explore a promising new surgical approach for managing NVG and contribute to the advancement of glaucoma treatment strategies. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR ChiCTR2200055138. Registered on 01 January 2022. https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=145255.

Voxel-based morphometry reveals altered gray matter volume related to cognitive dysfunctioning in neovascular glaucoma patients.

We used correlation analysis to examine whether changes in grey matter volume in patients correlated with clinical presentation. gray matter volume was markedly reduced in neovascular glaucoma patients than healthy controls in the following brain regions: left cingulum anterior/medial frontal gyrus; left middle frontal gyrus, orbital part; left inferior frontal gyrus, orbital part; superior temporal gyrus/right frontal inferior orbital part. VBM directly suggests that neovascular glaucoma patients have changed in the volume of multiple brain regions. These changes exist in brain areas related to the visual pathway, as well as other brain areas which are not related to vision. The alteration of specific brain areas are closely related to clinical symptoms such as increased intraocular pressure and optic nerve atrophy in neovascular glaucoma patients. In conclusion, neovascular glaucoma may cause paralgesia, anxiety, and depression in patients.

RAPIDLY PROGRESSIVE NEOVASCULAR GLAUCOMA FROM CYTOMEGALOVIRUS RETINITIS IN A NON-HUMAN IMMUNODEFICIENCY VIRUS PATIENT.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of neovascular glaucoma from cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis in a human immunodeficiency virus-negative patient with immunosuppression after stem-cell transplant for multiple myeloma. METHODS: Retrospective case report. RESULTS: A 71-year-old man on monthly infusion of daratumumab for multiple myeloma after stem-cell transplant presenting with a 2-week history of floaters, photophobia, and blurry vision was found to have polymerase chain reaction-confirmed CMV retinitis associated with diffuse occlusive vasculitis. The patient was human immunodeficiency virus negative with a CD4 count of 450/mm3. Despite immediate aggressive treatment, the patient developed neovascular glaucoma with poor visual outcome. CONCLUSION: Cytomegalovirus retinitis in human immunodeficiency virus-negative patients is becoming more prevalent with increasing use of systemic immunosuppression therapy for various reasons. Patients with non-human immunodeficiency virus related CMV retinitis can have severe ischemia atypical of the classic CMV retinitis and should be followed closely for neovascularization.

Neutrophil-To-Lymphocyte Ratio as a Potential Biomarker of Neovascular Glaucoma.

Purpose: To evaluate blood count-derived inflammation indexes as a detection or predictive marker for neovascular glaucoma (NVG) secondary to retinal vein occlusion (RVO) and diabetic retinopathy (DR).Methods: This was a retrospective, case-control study design. The level of white blood cell (WBC), neutrophil (N), neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), and lymphocyte/monocyte ratio (LMR) were evaluated in NVG patients secondary to RVO or DR.Results: A significant difference was found in those biomarkers between control group and NVG secondary to RVO or DR. Logistic regression analysis revealed these indexes were associated with the risk of NVG in DR and RVO patients. Multiple linear regression analysis showed a significant correlation between NLR and visual fields mean deviation in the NVG-RVO group.Conclusions: This study indicated that WBC, N, NLR, and LMR were related to NVG, and NLR may be useful as an potential inflammation biomarker indicating the risk and severity for NVG secondary to RVO.

Neovascular glaucoma in patients with central retinal vein occlusion: A real-life study in the anti-VEGF era.

PURPOSE: To investigate the characteristics and treatment patterns of patients developing a neovascular event (NE) in the anterior chamber secondary to central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) in an ordinary clinical setting. METHODS: In this retrospective real-life study, data from 243 eyes presenting with CRVO during 2012-2013 were collected. Maximum follow-up was 5 years. All patients that developed NE were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Of 243 eligible patients, 72 (30%) either presented with or developed NE during the follow-up. In these 72 patients, 23 (32%) eyes already had evidence of NE at baseline. Twenty-eight eyes (39%) developed NE after discontinuation of intravitreal therapy for macular oedema (ME). In this subgroup, the NE occurred 15.6 ± 13.8 months after the baseline visit and 4.1 ± 2.6 months after the last injection. Final best-corrected visual acuity was 8.6 Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) letters in the group of patients presenting with NE compared to 8.1 ETDRS letters in the group that developed NE later on. Of the patients presenting with intraocular pressure (IOP) below 30 mmHg, 3/29 (10%) needed subsequent cyclodiode laser therapy compared to 35/43 (81%) patients with a baseline IOP above 30 mmHg (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In a clinical setting, many patients show evidence of NE already at the first visit. A substantial part of patients develops NE a long time after presentation, commonly a few months after discontinuation of intravitreal therapy for ME. The visual prognosis is similar for patients presenting with NE and patients developing NE during follow-up. A high baseline IOP predicts the need for subsequent pressure-lowering procedures.

Increased expression of periostin and tenascin-C in eyes with neovascular glaucoma secondary to PDR.

PURPOSE: To investigate periostin (PN) and tenascin-C (TNC) expression in the aqueous humor and trabeculectomy specimens of patients with neovascular glaucoma (NVG) secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS: This study enrolled 37 eyes of 37 patients who were grouped into (1) NVG secondary to PDR (NVG; n = 8); (2) PDR without NVG (PDR; n = 9); (3) primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG; n = 11); and (4) cataract surgery patients as a control group (CG; n = 9). Aqueous humor samples were collected from the anterior chamber at the start of surgery or intravitreal injection of anti-VEGF drug. The concentrations of PN, TNC, VEGF, and TGF-ß2 (transforming growth factor-beta 2) were measured by ELISA. Sclerostomy tissues containing trabecular meshwork were obtained from two NVG patients and a POAG patient who underwent trabeculectomy surgery. Immunohistochemical analyses were performed to determine the localization of PN and TNC expression in the sclerostomy tissues. RESULTS: PN and TNC-C levels were below detection threshold in the POAG and CG groups. The NVG group had significantly higher levels of PN and TNC compared with the PDR group (84.7 ng/ml vs 2.2 ng/ml and 18.5 ng/ml vs 4.6 ng/ml, respectively; p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between the levels of PN and TNC-C in the NVG group (r = 0.86, p < 0.05). We found significant expression of PN in the trabecular meshwork and Schlemm's canal of sclerostomy tissues excised from patients with NVG. CONCLUSIONS: Increased PN and TNC expression suggests their possible involvement in the pathogenesis of NVG secondary to PDR.

Efficacy of Ahmed Glaucoma Valve Implantation on Neovascular Glaucoma.

To evaluate the efficacy of Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation in treating neovascular glaucoma (NVG) and analyze the factors influencing the surgical success rate, a retrospective investigation of 59 NVG patients (66 eyes) who underwent AGV implantation was conducted at Jiangsu Province Hospital, China, from January 2014 to June 2018. Intraocular pressure (IOP), visual acuity, surgical success rates, medications, and complications were monitored at post-operative 1 day, 1 week, 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. Surgical success criteria were defined as 6 mm Hg < IOP < 21 mmHg with or without additional medications. Results showed average IOP was statistically significant between pre-operative visit and each follow-up visit (all P<0.05). At 12 months, the success rate was 66.7%. Multiple stepwise regression analysis suggested that age, panretinal photocoagulation (PRP), complications and hyphema were significant factors influencing the surgical success rate (all P<0.05). Thus, we conclude that AGV implantation is effective and safe for treatment of NVG. Surgical success is dependent on age, PRP, complications, and hyphema.

Risk Factors of Neovascular Glaucoma After 25-gauge Vitrectomy for Proliferative Diabetic Retinopathy with Vitreous Hemorrhage: A Retrospective Multicenter Study.

Neovascular glaucoma (NVG) is a terminal severe complication in eyes with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), and PDR eyes with vitreous hemorrhage (VH) which undergo vitrectomy may have higher risk of postoperative NVG. The incidence and the prognostic factor of postoperative NVG after 25-gauge vitrectomy with advanced surgical options remain unclear. We retrospectively reviewed medical records of 268 eyes of 268 consecutive PDR patients with VH who underwent 25-gauge vitrectomy and 12 months follow-up at seven centers. Preoperative ocular factors (visual acuity, tractional retinal detachment, panretinal photocoagulation [PRP]), demographics and clinical factors (sex, age, diabetic duration, HbA1c, hypertension, anticoagulant medication, and kidney function), surgical procedures, and postoperative complications were compared between patients who developed postoperative NVG (9.3%) and those who did not. NVG eyes was significantly younger (P = 0.026), had shorter diabetic duration (P = 0.022), higher HbA1c (P = 0.028), absence of PRP (P = 0.039) and higher frequency of postoperative VH (P = 0.0075) than non-NVG eyes. Logistic regression analysis identified postoperative VH (P = 0.014), shorter diabetic duration (P = 0.029), and no PRP (P = 0.028) as prognostic factors for postoperative NVG. This multicenter study indicates that younger age, uncontrolled diabetes, no PRP, and postoperative VH are risk factors of post-vitrectomy NVG.

Intravitreal Ranibizumab With Panretinal Photocoagulation Followed by Trabeculectomy Versus Visco-Trabeculotomy in Management of Neovascular Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to compare visco-trabeculotomy (VT) with standard trabeculectomy with mitomycin C (Trab-MMC) in the treatment of quiescent neovascular glaucoma (NVG). METHODS: The study was conducted on 51 eyes of 51 patients presenting with NVG and treated at an Ophthalmic Center in Egypt between March 2014 and April 2017. All study eyes were subjected to a standard protocol of intravitreal injection of ranibizumab followed by panretinal photocoagulation. Eyes were then randomized to either VT or Trab-MMC. Study eyes were followed up for at least 18 months. Success was defined as an intraocular pressure of ≤21 mm Hg and without vision-threatening complications. Complications were noted. RESULTS: The mean ±â€ŠSD (range, median) age of the study patients was 54.1 ±â€Š6.4 (40-67, 54.5) and 52.4 ±â€Š8.8 (38-66, 53) years in the VT (26 eyes) and Trab-MMC (25 eyes) groups, respectively (P = 0.45). The mean ±â€ŠSD (range, median) intraocular pressure (IOP) of the study eyes was 45.19 ±â€Š2.97 (39-52, 45.5) and 45.64 ±â€Š3.56 (3-53, 45) mm Hg on maximal medical therapy in the VT and Trab-MMC groups, respectively (P = 0.61). At 18 months' follow-up, the mean ±â€ŠSD (range, median) IOP of the study eyes was 18.19 ±â€Š2.0 (16-23, 17) and 19.92 ±â€Š2.6 (18-26, 19) mm Hg in the VT and Trab-MMC groups, respectively (P = 0.004). There was no difference in postoperative antiglaucoma medication between the 2 groups (P = 0.62). Complications included hyphema and Descemet split in the VT group and an IOP spike in the Trab-MMC group. Success rates were 84.6% and 80% in the VT and Trab-MMC groups, respectively (P = 0.726). CONCLUSIONS: Both VT and Trab-MMC groups are effective in reducing the IOP in cases of NVG after control of neovascularization with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor and pan retinal photocoagulation.

What is the impact of intravitreal injection of conbercept on neovascular glaucoma patients: a prospective, interventional case series study.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravitreal conbercept combined with trabeculectomy and panretinal photocoagulation for neovascular glaucoma (NVG). METHODS: Fifty patients (54 eyes) with NVG were included in this prospective study. Fifty-two eyes initially underwent intravitreal conbercept (0.5 mg/0.05 ml) treatment followed by trabeculectomy and panretinal photocoagulation. Preoperative and postoperative best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), the number of antiglaucoma medications, and surgical complications were recorded. The levels of VEGF-A, TGF-ß1 and PLGF in aqueous humour samples collected during surgery were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Light microscopy and transmission electron microscopy were used to observe the surgically excised trabecular tissue; enucleation was performed in 2 eyes, and light microscopy was used as the histopathological control. RESULTS: The follow-up period after trabeculectomy was 1 year. Of the 52 eyes, 39 completed 1 year of follow-up, and 13 were lost to follow-up. Recurrence of iris neovascularization was observed in 5 eyes, 9 had hyphema, 16 had filter-bled scarring, and no eye had complications attributable to the drug. The mean IOP was reduced from 48.1 ± 14.2 to 23.2 ± 8.7 mmHg, and the mean number of antiglaucoma medications used decreased from 3.0 (3.0, 4.0) to 1.0 (0.0, 1.0) after 1 year (both P < 0.05). The complete success rate was 76.9, 76.9, 71.0, 51.6, and 32.3% at 1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months and 12 months, respectively, when the cut-off IOP was 18 mmHg. After patients underwent intravitreal injection, the concentrations of VEGF-A and TGF-ß1 in the aqueous humour in NVG patients decreased from 168.8 ± 13.4 and 159.6 ± 15.4 pg/ml to 160.2 ± 7.6 and 151.9 ± 2.3 pg/ml, respectively (both P < 0.05). Light microscopy revealed neovascularization regression in the iris in specimens treated with intravitreal conbercept. Electron microscopy revealed trabecular endothelial cell degeneration in the conbercept-treated specimens. CONCLUSIONS: Our initial findings suggest that intravitreal conbercept is an effective treatment for managing NVG that has fewer short-term postoperative complications. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials ChiCTR1800019918 , 8 December 2018, retrospectively registered.

A complex case of haemodialysis induced increased intraocular pressure.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of intraocular pressure fluctuation during haemodialysis in a patient with previously treated proliferative diabetic retinopathy and previous unilateral angle neovascularisation. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 63-year-old male with end-stage renal disease on maintenance haemodialysis and recurrent episodes of symptomatic intraocular pressure rise during dialysis sessions. Higher intraocular pressure spikes occurred in the eye with previous angle new vessels. OUTCOME: Topical antihypertensive drops failed to control the intraocular pressure. Due to multiple co-morbidities, options of medical management were deemed unsuitable; those included intravenous mannitol, systemic acetazolamide and intravenous glucose. Furthermore, modifications of his dialysis prescription did not lead to satisfactory results. As a consequence, the patient underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin C. Adequate control of his intraocular pressure was achieved post-operatively. CONCLUSION: Intraocular pressure fluctuations during haemodialysis are not fully understood, and management can be quite challenging to the treating ophthalmologists and nephrologists. In this case report, we discuss some of those difficulties and different treatment options.

Efficacy and safety of Ex-PRESS® mini shunt surgery versus trabeculectomy for neovascular glaucoma: a retrospective comparative study.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study is to evaluate and compare the short-term efficacy and safety of Ex-PRESS® mini shunt surgery and trabeculectomy for neovascular glaucoma (NVG). METHODS: Patients with NVG who underwent Ex-PRESS® mini shunt surgery or trabeculectomy as a primary glaucoma surgery between March 2013 and October 2015 were included in the study, and their medical charts were retrospectively reviewed. The Ex-PRESS® and trabeculectomy groups included 14 eyes and 30 eyes, respectively. Surgical failure was defined by an intraocular pressure (IOP) of ≥21 mmHg (condition A) or ≥ 18 mmHg (condition B); Kaplan-Meier survival analyses and the multivariable Cox proportional hazards model were used to assess efficacies. RESULTS: Kaplan-Meier survival analyses indicated that the probabilities of success at 1 year for the Ex-PRESS® group were 25.7 and 31.8% based on complete and qualified success under condition A, respectively. The corresponding values for the trabeculectomy group were 47.8 and 69.3%, and there was a significant difference in qualified success with condition A (Fig. 1; P = 0.018), while there were no significant differences in the other criteria. Ex-PRESS® mini shunt surgery and higher intraocular pressure were independent prognostic factors using Cox proportional hazards model analyses in qualified success as in condition A (P = 0.012 and 0.0495, respectively). The occurrences of postsurgical hyphema and bleb leaks were significantly higher in the trabeculectomy group (P = 0.005 and 0.008, respectively). CONCLUSION: During a 1 year follow-up, Ex-PRESS® mini shunt surgery was a less effective, but safer treatment for NVG compared with trabeculectomy.

Cyclophotocoagulation with an illuminated laser probe under a noncontact wide-angle retinoscope: A modified technique of ciliary body photocoagulation.

PURPOSE: This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of cyclophotocoagulation with an illuminated laser probe under a noncontact wide-angle retinoscope in treating refractory glaucoma. METHODS: Eleven patients (11 eyes) with refractory neovascular glaucoma were treated with ciliary body photocoagulation. Preoperative and postoperative corrected visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), ophthalmofundoscopy, B-ultrasound and ultrasound biomicroscopy, optical coherence tomography, and fundus fluorescein angiography were performed. RESULTS: Preoperative IOP ranged from 45 to 58 mmHg (mean 51.9 mmHg). At postoperative 1, 3, and 6 months, the IOPs ranged between 16 and 33 mmHg (mean 27.1 mmHg), 14-28 mmHg (mean 20.6 mmHg), and 14-28 mmHg (mean 18.5 mmHg), respectively. IOP at the last follow-up (range 7-12 months) was 15-24 mmHg (mean 18.8 mmHg). An average of 63.8% decrease in postoperative IOP was found in these patients with no associated complications. The postoperative fibrotic exudate, anterior chamber hyphema, and exudative choroidal detachment were all well-managed and resolved. No patients experienced intraocular lens deviation or dislocation, hypotonia oculi, atrophy of eyeball, retinal detachment, endophthalmitis, or sympathetic ophthalmia. CONCLUSION: Cyclophotocoagulation with an illuminated laser probe under a noncontact wide-angle retinoscope is a safe and effective technique for the treatment of neovascular glaucoma.

Predictors of Neovascular Glaucoma in Central Retinal Vein Occlusion.

PURPOSE: To determine the risk factors for development of neovascular glaucoma (NVG) in patients after an acute central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO). DESIGN: Retrospective cohort study. METHODS: Review of medical records of 646 patients with a diagnosis of CRVO between 2013 and 2017 at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. INCLUSION CRITERIA: (1) CRVO onset to presentation <90 days; (2) absence of anterior segment neovascularization on presentation; (3) no intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) injection before presentation. Patients meeting inclusion criteria were screened for potential risk factors for development of NVG. Risk of developing NVG was assessed with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazards models. RESULTS: Thirteen of 98 patients (13%) who met inclusion criteria developed NVG. The mean adjusted time to NVG diagnosis from onset of CRVO-related symptoms was 212 days. Patients presenting with a worse initial visual acuity (P = .034), a relative afferent pupillary defect (RAPD) (P = .002), or a history of systemic hypertension (P = .026) had an increased risk of NVG compared to those who did not. Age, body mass index, history of glaucoma, history of diabetes, and central retinal thickness were not significantly associated with development of NVG. CONCLUSIONS: Risk factors for NVG development included history of systemic hypertension, worse visual acuity on presentation, and RAPD on presentation. Patients presenting with these findings should be followed at closer intervals and informed of the greater risk for neovascularization. Intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy delayed but did not prevent NVG.

Preservation of retinoblastoma group E eyes with neovascular glaucoma using intravenous chemotherapy: risk factors and outcomes.

BACKGROUND/AIM: To report the outcomes of retinoblastoma group E eyes with neovascular glaucoma (NVG) treated conservatively with intravenous chemotherapy and investigate factors associated with eye salvage and secondary enucleation. METHODS: This is a retrospective, comparative, interventional case series. The outcome measures were life salvage, eye salvage and vision salvage. RESULTS: Of the 37 eyes managed by intravenous chemotherapy, secondary enucleation was necessary in 21 eyes (group 1) and eye salvage was possible in 16 eyes (group 2). A comparison of both groups revealed significant difference with group 1 demonstrating greater duration of symptoms (18.8 weeks vs 5.4 weeks, p=0.016), greater intraocular pressure (IOP) at presentation (36 mm Hg vs 30 mm Hg, p=0.044), greater increase in corneal diameter (1.52 mm vs 0.50 mm, p=0.013) and the presence of sterile orbital cellulitis (9 vs 1, p=0.023). Further, the risk factors for secondary enucleation by univariate analysis were duration of symptoms >10 weeks (p=0.003), presenting IOP >26 mm Hg (p=0.045), buphthalmos (p=0.014) and sterile orbital cellulitis (p=0.023) and by multivariate analysis were age at presentation >6 months (p=0.012) and buphthalmos (p=0.017). At a mean follow-up of 20.5 months, none of the patients in either group developed systemic metastasis. CONCLUSION: For retinoblastoma group E eyes presenting with NVG, the chance of eye salvage with intravenous chemotherapy is better when the age at diagnosis is <6 months, duration of symptoms is <10 weeks, IOP is <26 mm Hg, and in the absence buphthalmos and sterile orbital inflammation.

Surgical treatment of neovascular glaucoma: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PURPOSE: This literature review and meta-analysis aims to compare intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering efficacy, failure rates and loss of light perception (LP) rates 6 months after an IOP-lowering surgical procedure in neovascular glaucoma (NVG) eyes. METHODS: MEDLINE and EMBASE were used as data sources. Only studies including NVG patients who underwent two different surgical approaches were considered. The treatment effect measures were (i) weighted mean difference (WMD) for IOP reduction, (ii) risk ratio (RR) for failure rates and (iii) risk difference (RD) for loss of LP. Outcome measures were reported with a 95% confidence interval (CI) and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Analysis was performed using RevMan v5.0. RESULTS: No RCT were retrieved. Seven comparative non-randomised studies were eligible. In glaucoma drainage devices (GDDs) vs cyclophotocoagulation arm, there was no statistical difference in IOP-lowering efficacy (WMD = - 3.63; CI [- 8.69, 1.43], P = 0.16), although failure rates and loss of LP were lower in the GDDs group (RR = 0.64, CI [0.41, 0.99], P = 0.05; and RD = - 0.15, CI [- 0.25, - 0.05], P = 0.004, respectively). In the Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) vs trabeculectomy arm, there was no statistical difference in IOP-lowering efficacy and loss of LP (WMD = 0.78, CI [- 2.29, 3.85], P = 0.62 and RD of 0.04, CI [- 0.05, 0.14], P = 0.34, respectively), but failure rates were lower in trabeculectomy group (RR of 2.25, CI [1.14, 3.71], P = 0.02). CONCLUSIONS: There is lack of high-quality evidence on the subject as no RCT were retrieved comparing two different IOP-lowering procedures in NVG patients. Our findings are based, therefore, on non-RCT studies and should be interpreted with caution. There appears to be no difference in IOP-lowering efficacy between GDDs and cyclophotocoagulation, although GDDs appear to be safer. AGV and trabeculectomy also seem to provide similar IOP-lowering results with trabeculectomy showing lower failure rates.

Uncontrolled neovascular glaucoma - an alarming manifestation of chronic myeloid leukemia on imatinib therapy - a case report and review of literature.

A 45-year-old diabetic male, with diabetic retinopathy and medically uncontrolled neovascular glaucoma (NVG) underwent intracameral bevacizumab followed by trabeculectomy, with controlled intraocular pressures (IOP) post-operatively, OD: 12 mmHg; OS: 14 mmHg. Patient was referred to hematology, where he was diagnosed as chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and started on imatinib mesylate. Thereafter, he presented with recurrence of neovascularization and vascularization of the bleb along with OS vitreous hemorrhage at 6 weeks follow-up. While he was planned for OS vitreo-retinal surgery, he presented with OD spontaneous hyphema with raised IOP (OD: 38 mmHg, OS: 16 mmHg). He had maintained a tight glycemic control. Following imatinib therapy, there was a rapid progression and recurrence of neovascularization, eventually leading to failure of trabeculectomy OD and bilateral severe loss of vision. Imatinib may be implicated in the worsening of NVG in CML patients, especially with co-existing diabetes and thus, such patients should receive regular thorough ophthalmic evaluation as long as imatinib continues.

Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation versus suprachoroidal silicone tube implantation following the injection of bevacizumab into the anterior chamber in patients with neovascular glaucoma.

PURPOSE: This study compared the efficacy and safety of Ahmed glaucoma valve (AGV) implantation versus suprachoroidal silicone tube (SST) implantation after the injection of bevacizumab into the anterior chamber in patients with neovascular glaucoma. METHODS: Patients were randomly assigned to undergo AGV or SST implantation. Bevacizumab was injected into the anterior chamber at a dosage of 1.25 mg/0.1 mL, 1 week before surgery. Intraocular pressure (IOP) control, complication, and success rates were compared between the groups. Success was defined as a final IOP > 5 mmHg, < 22 mmHg with or without any antiglaucoma drug. RESULTS: A total of 23 patients were enrolled in the study, including 13 (56.5%) in the AGV group (group 1) and 10 (43.5%) in the SST group (group 2). The mean baseline IOP was 42.0 ± 9.1 mmHg in group 1 and 39.5 ± 10 mmHg in group 2 (p > 0.05). The mean IOP was 16.9 ± 7.0 mmHg in group 1 and 12.5 ± 6.7 mmHg in group 2 on the first day after surgery. After a mean follow-up period of 19.4 ± 5.2 months, success was achieved in 12 (92.3%) patients in group 1 and in 1 (10%) patient in group 2. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of the success rate between groups (p < 0.05). Complications included hyphema in three (23%) patients, obstruction of the AGV tube by iris tissue in one (7.7%) patient, and tube exposure in one patient (7.7%) in group 1. Suprachoroidal silicone tube dislocation to the anterior chamber was observed in one (10%) patient in group 2. CONCLUSION: AGV implantation after the injection of bevacizumab into the anterior chamber had a higher success rate than SST implantation. Complications were seen more frequently in the AGV group.