Low-dose 5-Fluorouracil and Glaucoma Filtering Surgery

ABSTRACT

It has been known that subconjunctival injections of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) may enhance the surgical outcome of glaucomatous eyes with poor prognosis after filtering surgery. The authors reviewed 24 eyes of 23 patients who had received subconjunctival injections of 5-FU after filtering surgery, and all of them were followed up at least 6 months. The average follow-up period was 12 months, and the average total dosage of 5-FU was 17.4mg per eye. Successful surgical outcomes were observed in 7 of 10 eyes with glaucoma after unsuccessful filtering surgery (70%), 7 of 9 eyes with neovascular glaucoma (78%), and 4 of 5 eyes with aphakic glaucoma (80%). The complications of filtering surgery and 5-FU injections were corneal epithelial defects (17%), hyphema (12%), conjunctival wound leakage (4%), and filtering site obstruction (4%). Therefore, we think that postoperative subconjuntival 5-FU injection increase the success rate of filtering surgery in refractory glaucoma.