Objective: To explore the risk factors, the ciliary body anatomy structures, the therapeutic methods and the prognosis for malignant glaucoma through retrospectively collecting the clinical data from primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) patients.
Methods: Clinical data in 1183 patients (1456 eyes) with PACG were collected between July, 2010 and May, 2014 from Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. Thirty patients (38 eyes) were diagnosed as malignant glaucoma. According to symptom, these patients were divided into a PACG group (1418 eyes) and a malignant glaucoma group (38 eyes); according to age, they were divided into a 3-40 years old group (171 eyes), a 41-70 years old group (1016 eyes) and a ≥71 years old group (269 eyes); according to therapeutic methods, they were divided into a drug therapy group (5 eyes), a lens extraction group (6 eyes) and a vitrectomy surgery group (27 eyes); according to the different method of surgery, they were divided into a vitrectomy group (27 eyes), a nonvitrectomy group (11 eyes). The age, sex, anterior chamber depth (ACD), axial length (AL), lens thickness (LT), visual acuity, intraocular pressure, therapeutic methods and surgery history were recorded. Meanwhile, the ciliary body thickness (CBT), trabecular ciliary process angle (TCA) and lens diameter were measured by ultrsound biomicroscopy (UBM).
Results: Male and female ratio was 1:2 in the malignant glaucoma group. The average age [(51.87±12.92) years] in the malignant glaucoma group was less than that in the PACG group [(57.87±8.78) years](P<0.05). Malignant glaucoma was more likely to occur in the first 3 months after PACG trabeculectomy with a rate of 85.7%. The LT [(4.33±0.67) mm], AL[(21.44±1.18) mm] and ACD [(2.12±0.41) mm] in the malignant glaucoma group were less than those in the PACG group [(4.81±0.50), (22.17±0.97) and (2.49±0.48) mm, respectively](all P<0.05). The CBT0, CBT1, CBTmax, TCA and lens diameter in the malignant glaucoma group were less than those in the PACG group (all P<0.05).
Conclusion: Female PACG patients, with short axial length, shallow anterior chamber, thin lens, thin ciliary body, small trabecular ciliary process angle and short lens diameter, are more likely to suffer from malignant glaucoma. Vitrectomy can significantly reduce intraocular pressure.