Glaucoma Surgical Outcomes in Patients with a History of Scleritis

Abstract

Purpose: To assess the outcomes of glaucoma surgery in patients with a history of scleritis at a tertiary medical center.

Methods: The retrospective case series included patients with a history of scleritis who required glaucoma surgery between 4/2006 and 8/2021.

Results: Two hundred and eighty-one eyes of 259 patients had glaucoma and scleritis with 28 eyes (10%) of 25 patients requiring glaucoma surgery. Post-operatively, one eye (4%) had infectious scleritis. Eleven (39%) surgeries failed: 5 tube shunts, 5 cyclophotocoagulation, and 1 gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy. Five (18%) eyes required tube revisions due to tube exposures without infection (3), iris blocking the tube (1), or to shorten tube length (1).

Conclusions: Patients with a history of scleritis have a low risk of scleritis recurrence or scleral perforation after glaucoma surgery but should be counseled appropriately on the higher risk of reoperation.

Keywords: Glaucoma; glaucoma surgery; scleritis; uveitis.