Incidence and factors influencing glaucoma after penetrating keratoplasty

Purpose: To determine the incidence and factors influencing glaucoma following penetrating keratoplasty. Material and method: We prospectively studied 440 consecutive patients undergoing penetrating keratoplasty over a period of 5 years, with an average follow-up of 2 years. High intraocular pressure was defined as IOP over 20 mmHg measured by Goldmann applanation for at least 1 week or if a patient required topical treatment for at least 1 week. Before surgery, 18.7% of the patients presented with glaucoma or high intraocular pressure; 44.9% received a graft for a bullous keratopathy condition, 25.6% had keratoconus, 31.5% received an anterior chamber lens, and 48.5% were phakic. Results: After surgery, 42.2% of the patients had ocular pressure at 20 mmHg or more and required treatment for high ocular pressure. The increase in intraocular pressure appeared after an average delay of 3.3 +/- 4.7 months. The frequency of the increase in intraocular pressure was 54.3% for the bullous keratopathy patients, 26.6% for the keratoconus patients (p < 0.001). At the end of the second year, the graft survival was 82.1% in absence of glaucoma, whereas it was 71.5% in cases of glaucoma after keratoplasty. Between all parameters that we studied, high intraocular pressure before surgery, etiology, the status, and receiver age over 60 years were the main factors influencing high intraocular pressure after keratoplasty. Intraocular pressure was correlated with the decrease in endothelial cell density and was at the origin of graft failure. Intraocular pressure correlated with the Best Spectacle Corrected Visual Acuity (BSCVA) by its effect on endothelial cell density and optic nerve destruction. Conclusion: The increase in intraocular pressure is a real and serious complication of keratoplasty. Its physiopathology is very complex. Better knowledge of risk factors can be useful in controlling it.