Use of indocyanine green during excision of an overhanging filtering bleb.

BACKGROUND

We report the use of an indocyanine green (ICG) injection during the safe removal of an overhanging filtering bleb after trabeculectomy.

CASE: A 63-year-old man with a history of trabeculectomy 5 years previously in his left eye complained of foreign body sensation in this eye and decreased vision from induced astigmatism. Slit-lamp examination revealed an expanding overhanging filtering bleb on the cornea.

OBSERVATIONS: With a 30-G needle, 0.25% ICG was injected into the overhanging bleb. Use of ICG visualization of the inner space of the overhanging filtering bleb provided visualization of the border with the original bleb, allowing for safe excision of the overhanging filtering bleb without injury to the thin surface of the original bleb.

CONCLUSION

Injection of ICG into an overhanging filtering bleb during excision can be useful in the prevention of damage to the original bleb.