Risk Factors for Requiring Glaucoma Surgery in Steroid-induced Glaucoma

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#To study the risk factors for steroid-induced glaucoma patients requiring glaucoma surgery, despite being fully treated with medications and laser trabeculoplasty. @*Methods@#The charts of 50 eyes diagnosed with steroid-induced glaucoma from January 2012 to December 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. 28 eyes required surgery and 22 eyes were successfully treated with medications and laser trabeculoplasty. The demographic information as well as ocular parameters, presence of ocular/systemic comorbidities, and past history of steroid use were evaluated to determine the risk factors associated with the need for glaucoma surgery. @*Results@#For the 7 factors that were statistically significant by univariate regression analysis, multivariate regression analysis showed that the average retinal nerve fiber layer thickness and duration of steroid use were not statistically significant (p = 0.876 and p = 0.068, respectively), whereas age and initial intraocular pressure were only statistically significant in some of the analysis models (p = 0.040-0.278, p = 0.016-0.201, respectively). Myopia, vertical cup-to-disc ratio, and systemic comorbidities had statistically significant correlations (p = 0.019, p = 0.011-0.03, p = 0.022, respectively) with surgical decision by multivariate regression analysis. @*Conclusions@#The risk factors for requiring glaucoma surgery in steroid-induced glaucoma patients were young age, myopia, initial optic nerve damage, systemic disease (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and atopy), and duration of steroid use. These results may be helpful in predicting the prognosis of patients with steroid-induced glaucoma and in screening for patients who require a more aggressive treatment at the time of disease presentation.