Corneal Central Endothelial Cell Loss after Trabeculectomy with Mitomycin C

ABSTRACT

The effect of mitomycin on the corneal endothelial cell density was evaluated between the mitomycin group of 23 eyes who underwent trabeculectomy with mitomycin and the control group of 20 eyes who underwent trabeculectomy. The mitomycin(0.2 mg/ml) was applied under the scleral flap, Tenon's capsule or conjunctiva during trabeculectomy for 2-5 minutes(average 4 minutes) and was irrigated with 50ml of balanced salt solution. Average central endothelial cell loss in the mitomycin group was 10.1 +/- 7.1% and 8.4 +/- 8.3% in the control group(P>0.05, t-test). A shallow anterior chamber with iridocorneal touch(Spaeth's grade 1 and 2) was developed in 12(52%) of 23 eyes in the mitomycin group and 9(45%) of 20 eyes in the control group(P>0.05, chi-square). The average central endothelial cell loss was 12.7 +/- 8.3% in 21 eyes with iridocorneal touch and 5.9 +/- 5.4% in 22 eyes that maintained their anterior chamber(P0.05, t-test). In 22 eyes that maintained their anterior chamber, average loss was 7.1 +/- 5.4% in the mitomycin group, and 4.8 +/- 5.4% in the control group(P>0.05, t-test). These findings suggest that intraoperative use of mitomycin(0.2 mg/ml) during trabeculectomy is unlikely to cause profound corneal endothelial cell loss and iridocorneal touch after the filtering surgery is associated with greater loss of endothelial cells.