Comparison of Long-term Results of Primary Trabeculectomy with Mitomycin C in Juvenile-onset and Adult-onset Primary Open Angle Glaucoma

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: Young age is controversial risk factor for filtration failure following trabeculectomy with adjunctive mitomycin C (MMC). This study aimed at investigating whether juvenile-onset primary open angle glaucoma (JPOAG) patients have worse long-term outcome than adult-onset primary open angle glaucom (APOAG) patients following primary trabeculectomy with adjunctive MMC. METHODS: Medical records of 162 eyes of 113 primary open angle glaucoma patients who had undergone primary trabeculectomy with MMC and minimum follow up of 12 months were retrospectively reviewed. All the patients were free of other known risk factors except young age for surgical failure following trabeculectomy. The patients were divided into two groups; juvenile group (68 eyes of 42 patients, 10~35 years of age) and adult group (51 eyes of 41 patients, age 50 years or older). Forty-three eyes of 30 patients, aged 36~49 years, were excluded from the analysis for the study purpose. Demographic, preoperative and postoperative data were collected for up to 96 months. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used for probability of cumulative success estimations according to success criterion (defined as postoperative intraocular pressure of 20 mmHg or less without glaucoma medications). RESULTS: Cumulative life-table success rates of juvenile group were 98.5% at 12 months, 84.6% at 48 months, and 71.2% at 96 months. Those of adult group were 98.0%, 77.0%, and 68.5% respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in overall filtration success rates between juvenile and adult groups (p=0.52). Using a Cox proportional hazard regression analysis of potential risk factors, young age was not found to significantly affect the surgical failure (p=0.97). CONCLUSIONS: Young age itself was not associated with the poor surgical outcome following primary trabeculectomy with adjunctive MMC in this study. The present results suggest that the success rate of the JPOAG compares favorably with that of the APOAG. Primary trabeculectomy with MMC in juvenile glaucoma without other concomitant risk factors may have a favorable long-term clinical outcome as adult glaucoma.