Penetrating Keratoplasty With a Valved Glaucoma Drainage Implant for Congenital Glaucoma and Corneal Scarring Secondary to Hydrops

Abstract

The simultaneous management of glaucoma and corneal opacification is sometimes required in infants with severe congenital glaucoma if timely visual rehabilitation is to be achieved. A 1-month-old female infant presented with an enlarged, protuberant, opaque cornea in each eye and elevated intraocular pressure. An intrastromal, fluid-filled cleft was noted in both corneas. It resolved over 3 weeks as corneal scarring progressed. Peripheral corneal clearing allowed a view of an essentially normal anterior chamber. Penetrating keratoplasty and Ahmed (New World Medical Inc., Rancho Cucamonga, CA) valve implant surgery with mitomycin-C were performed simultaneously in the two eyes 1 months apart. At 15 months of age, the patient's grafts were clear and the intraocular pressure was well controlled in both eyes. One eye required multiple procedures for eventual glaucoma control. No postoperative overfiltration occurred. The authors conclude that the use of a valved implant should be considered in patients who require urgent simultaneous corneal and glaucoma surgery for severe congenital glaucoma. This combination may improve early postoperative control of aqueous outflow and positively affect long-term graft survival in these difficult cases.