INTRAOPERATIVE MITOMYCIN-C AND THE CORNEAL ENDOTHELIUM

Purpose: Mitomycin-C (MMC) is a useful adjunct to high risk glaucoma s urgery. No clinical data regarding the deleterious effect of mitomycin -C on the corneal endothelial cells are available. Methods: Thirty eve s of 28 adult patients with high risk glaucomas mere randomized to thr ee groups. Group-I underwent a trabeculectomy alone, Group II, trabecu lectomy with intraoperative 0.2mg/ml MMC and Group III, trabeculectomy with intraoperative 0.4mg/ml MMC. Preoperative and 3-month postoperat ive corneal endothelial cell counts were analysed, Results: The percen tage cell loss in Group I was 3.73+/-2.73%, in Group II 13.90+/-4.69% and in Group III 14.52+/-7.8%. Statistical analysis revealed a signifi cant difference in cell loss between Group I and Group II and Group I and Group LII, but not between Group II and Group III. Conclusion: The re is a significant loss of corneal endothelial cells three months aft er trabeculectomy with adjunctive MMC.