Evaluation of the anterior chamber angle and filtering bleb morphology after phacotrabeculectomy by using anterior segment optical coherence tomography

Abstract

Purpose Evaluating the anterior chamber angle (ACA) and filtering bleb following phacotrabeculectomy by using anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Patients and methods This is a retrospective study that included 30 eyes of 30 patients with cataract and glaucoma of both sexes and aged from 42 to 72 years. Patients attended the Ophthalmology Department of Minia University Hospital between June 2016 and November 2017. The duration of follow-up was 6 months. The patient’s underwent preoperative clinical and AS-OCT examination, followed by phacotrabeculectomy, and then postoperative AS-OCT to evaluate the angle and the filtering bleb. Results A total of eight patients were diagnosed with primary open-angle glaucoma and 22 with primary closed-angle glaucoma. Overall, eight (26.7%) eyes had closed angle in two quadrants: six (20%) eyes with closed superior and inferior quadrants and two (6.7%) eyes with closed nasal and temporal quadrants. Closed ACAs in three quadrants of the eye, the superior, nasal, and temporal quadrants, were found in six (20%) eyes. Closed ACAs in the four quadrants of the eyes were observed in eight (26.7%) eyes. Cystic blebs are highly elevated and hyporeflective (30% of cases). Diffuse blebs are moderately elevated with moderate reflectivity (50% of cases). Flat blebs are low with hyperreflectivity (20% of cases). Conclusion AS-OCT is an optimistic tool to investigate the filtering blebs. It was able to detect angle changes preoperatively and postoperatively and show the features of the bleb that are not properly detected by the slit lamp examination. It has the advantage over ultrasound biomicroscopy in being a noncontact, noninvasive procedure, allowing early postoperative examination.