[Studies of mechanism of malignant glaucoma using ultrasound biomicroscope].

OBJECTIVE

To study the mechanism of malignant glaucoma using ultrasound biomicroscope (UBM) combined with general A scan and to observe the conditions of cilio-lens block in living eyes at the realtime when malignant glaucoma is occurring.

METHODS

31 eyes from 27 patients with malignant glaucoma were evaluated and 54 normal eyes and 72 eyes of primary angle-closure glaucoma were studied as the controls.

RESULTS

Of the 31 eyes, close attachments between the ciliary body and the lens were found in 18 eyes (58.1%) and slits between them were found in 13 eyes (41.9%) during the onset of malignant glaucoma. Ciliary body thickness increased significantly (P < 0.05). Fluid in the supraciliary space was found in 11 eyes.

CONCLUSIONS

The mechanism of malignant glaucoma is associated with the abnormal relationship among anterior vitreous, ciliary process and lens periphery. Fluid in the supraciliary space makes the ciliary process closer to the lens periphery. It is one of the factors causing cilio-lens block. The ultrasound biomicroscopic image is a new better practicable method to diagnose malignant glaucoma during its onset compared with other methods at present used in the clinical work. It is much more valuable to differentiate the pupillary block glaucoma from malignant glaucoma by using ultrasound biomicroscopy.