Complications in Placement of a Glaucoma Drainage Device in a Patient With CREST Syndrome.

This case describes difficulty with conjunctival closure in an 80-year-old woman with CREST syndrome, a subset of systemic scleroderma. The patient underwent uneventful glaucoma drainage device implantation, but friability of the conjunctiva was noted during closure. Amniotic membrane was used to ensure secure closure, and the patient had a successful outcome. There is a paucity of existing studies on patients with CREST syndrome and their ocular findings. This report sheds light on ocular findings in this autoimmune disease and the necessity for alternative closure methods in special cases.