Background
To correlate the cross-sectional features of filtering blebs on anterior-segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) 2 weeks
after trabeculectomy with bleb function at 6 months.
Methods
Forty-eight eyes followed for 6 months or more after trabeculectomy with mitomycin C were included. Bleb wall reflectivity
of developing blebs on AS-OCT 2 weeks postoperatively was correlated with mature bleb function at 6-month postoperative visit.
Results
Developing bleb walls at 2 weeks were classified as uniform in 10/48 eyes (20.8%) and multiform in 38/48 eyes (79.2%). Blebs
with uniform reflectivity were significantly more likely to have worse function at 6 months (P < 0.001). Multiform bleb walls had hyporeflective areas seeming to represent loosely-arranged connective tissue (multiple-layer
structures), subconjunctival separation, and microcysts. Blebs with multiple-layer structures at 2 weeks were associated with
better bleb function at 6 months (P = 0.025). Intraocular pressure (IOP) of developing blebs at 2 weeks did not correlate with bleb function at 6 months (P = 0.471).
Conclusions
Bleb wall reflectivity on AS-OCT 2 weeks after surgery may predict bleb function at 6 months, whereas IOP of developing blebs
may not.
Keywords Anterior-segment optical coherence tomography - Bleb - Trabeculectomy
Presented in part at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting, May 2008, Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Financial relationship: None of the authors listed in this manuscript has a financial relationship with the organisation that
sponsored the research.
The authors have full control of all primary data, and they agree to allow Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental
Ophthalmology to review their data upon request.