Severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis requiring trabeculectomy with mitomycin C for corticosteroid-induced glaucoma.

BACKGROUND

To describe clinical features of severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis with steroid response in Asian children and risk factors for glaucoma filtration surgery.

DESIGN

Retrospective non-controlled, comparative case series.

PARTICIPANTS

Patients with severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis seen at a single centre over 6 years.

METHODS

Clinical features, symptoms and treatment modalities were recorded for patients (i) diagnosed with severe VKC (clinical grade ≥ 3); (ii) had >2 recordings of increased intraocular pressures of >21 mmHg; (iii) and a minimum follow-up period of 1 year post-presentation.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Corticosteroid-induced glaucoma requiring trabeculectomy with mitomycin-C.

RESULTS

Six patients (eight eyes) of 36 patients required trabeculectomy/mitomycin-C. All were male. Mean age of disease onset was 9.3 ± 4.5 years for a mean duration of 6.08 ± 3.5 years. Mean intraocular pressures increase from baseline was 29.0 ± 8.2 mmHg and all required >2 anti-glaucoma medications. The main risk factor for trabeculectomy was a greater increase in intraocular pressures from baseline (odds ratio 1.3; 95% confidence interval, 1.0-1.5; P = 0.011), which was independent of potential confounders such as type and duration of corticosteroid use. Comparing eyes pre- and post-trabeculectomy, all improved in clinical severity of vernal keratoconjunctivitis (mean clinical grade improvement 2.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.3-3.0; P < 0.001) and reduced dependence on topical corticosteroids for mean duration of 22.5 ± 15.3 months.

CONCLUSION

In our study, patients with a 'greater steroid response', that is, higher increase in intraocular pressures from baseline are associated with a 30% higher risk toftrabeculectomy.