Abstract
Purpose :
The anatomic site of the trabeculectomy could give us information about the status of the trabecular meshwork, like the amount of pigment, type of cells and fibrosis, and if the material was obtained from the proper site. Additionally, there is a prognostic factor depending on the site of the cut; for example, materials obtained posterior to the scleral spur, tend to fail sooner than the anterior ones. However, the histopathological study of this material is often set aside. There is no study of trabeculectomy specimens in Mexican population.
Methods :
Materials obtained from trabeculectomies of patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), were fixated in 10% formaldehyde for their histopathological study. The materials were stained with Hematoxilin & Eosin, Masson’s trichrome, and periodic Acid-Schiff and observed in a light microscope.
Results :
To date we have collected 4 samples. In the two samples from POAG patients, we recognize the trabecular meshwork with moderate pigmentation, decreased cell count and a small amount of fibrosis at the anterior edge of the meshwork (figure 1). The other two samples from PACG patients, the trabecular meshwork was identified in one of them with a moderate inflammatory cellular infiltrate and a reduced trabecular cells population, in the last specimen, we could only identify collagen fibers from the cornea with no trabecular meshwork in it.
Conclusions :
Our results are consistent with the theoretical findings in the POAG. However, we need a larger sample to identify structural changes that can help us understand all the physiopathological mechanisms involved in POAG and PACG. Further studies are needed to recognize the clinical consequences of these findings.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.