Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 May 5;45(1):173.
doi: 10.1007/s10792-025-03527-0.

Clinical characteristics and managements of severe corneal ulcers in patients with end-stage glaucoma

Yan Li  1 , Xin Zhong  1 , Di Ma  2
Affiliations

Clinical characteristics and managements of severe corneal ulcers in patients with end-stage glaucoma

Yan Li et al. Int Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

Purpose: To review the clinical characteristics and managements of severe corneal ulcers in patients with end-stage glaucoma.

Methods: Retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients diagnosed with severe corneal ulcers who had a history of end-stage glaucoma, including demographic profiles, medical histories, clinical features, and treatments.

Results: Thirty patients (30 eyes) were included. The median age at presentation was 73.00 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 64.25-77.25 years). The majority of patients were previously diagnosed with primary angle-closure glaucoma (11/30, 36.67%). Nineteen patients (63.33%) were still using antiglaucoma medications within 6 months before the onset of corneal ulcer. Visual acuity was already severely impaired in these patients before the onset of corneal ulcer. At last visit before the onset, 20 eyes (66.67%) had intraocular pressure (IOP) greater than 21 mmHg. Corneal perforation occurred in 13 eyes (43.33%). Eleven eyes (36.67%) underwent debridement of corneal ulcer and conjunctival flap covering surgery, while 13 eyes (43.33%) eventually underwent evisceration. Patients without corneal perforation had received a greater variety of surgical or laser treatments in the past compared to those with corneal perforation (P = 0.047). A significantly larger proportion of patients with corneal perforation underwent evisceration (9/13 vs 4/17, P = 0.012).

Conclusion: Severe corneal ulcers in patients with end-stage glaucoma were characterized by advanced age, long-term use of topical antiglaucoma medications and poor IOP control. Nearly half of the patients lost their eyes. Active treatment of underlying diseases and careful attention to ocular surface condition are crucial in preventing corneal perforation and improving prognosis.

Keywords: Advanced age; Antiglaucoma therapy; Corneal perforation; Corneal ulcer; Evisceration; Glaucoma; Intraocular pressure.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Whitcher JP, Srinivasan M, Upadhyay MP (2001) Corneal blindness: a global perspective. B World Health Organ 79(3):214–221
    1. Hongyok T, Leelaprute W (2016) Corneal ulcer leading to evisceration or enucleation in a tertiary eye care center in thailand: clinical and microbiological characteristics. J Med Assoc Thai 99(Suppl 2):S116–S122 - PubMed
    1. Constantinou M, Jhanji V, Tao LW et al (2009) Clinical review of corneal ulcers resulting in evisceration and enucleation in elderly population. Graef Arch Clin Exp 247(10):1389–1393 - DOI
    1. Mack HG, Fazal A, Watson S (2022) Corneal ulcers in general practice. Aust J Gen Pract 51(11):855–860 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Kunimoto DY, Sharma S, Garg P et al (2000) Corneal ulceration in the elderly in Hyderabad, south India. Brit J Ophthalmol 84(1):54–59 - DOI

LinkOut - more resources