Intracorneal hematoma after canaloplasty in glaucoma

Abstract

Purpose: To report a case of an intracorneal hematoma after canaloplasty.

Methods: Interventional case report of a surgical method used to resolve an intracorneal hematoma complication after canaloplasty.

Results: A 45-year-old man with uncontrolled pigmentary open-angle glaucoma underwent canaloplasty for glaucoma in the left eye. The patient previously underwent radial keratotomy for myopia in the same eye in 1997. Visual acuity was 20/20 without corrective lenses; intraocular pressure was 25 mm Hg with maximal medical therapy. During the surgical procedure, the canaloplasty microcatheter encountered an obstacle at the 6-o'clock position. During catheterization, a high-weight viscoelastic substance is normally injected in the canal. This probably caused a limited detachment of the Descemet membrane. On the day after surgery, slit-lamp biomicroscopy showed a large intracorneal hematoma that threatened the visual axis. A partial-thickness paracentesis was then performed on day 2 to remove the hematoma.

Conclusions: Intracorneal hematoma is a rare complication of canaloplasty for glaucoma. The blood can be removed without interrupting the Descemet membrane by partial-thickness paracentesis.