Neovascular glaucoma: a retrospective review from a tertiary center in China

Background The purpose of this study is to report the prevalence, etiology, treatment and outcomes of neovascular glaucoma (NVG) in a tertiary care ophthalmic center in China. Methods Medical records of patients diagnosed as NVG at the Wenzhou Medical University between 2003 and 2014 were reviewed. Success was defined as IOP between 6 and 21 mmHg without topical or systemic glaucoma medications with retention of presenting visual acuity (VA). Results NVG was diagnosed in 483 of 8306 (5.8 %) of all glaucoma patients. Etiology is reported for all 310 eyes of 284 patients managed in the department. Interventions depended on insurance as well as personal finances; outcomes are reported for the 149 eyes of 138 patients with complete data that met follow up requirements. Diabetic retinopathy (DR,39.7 %) was the major cause of NVG. Kaplan Meier survival analysis showed a success rate of 84.8 % at 1 year, 47.5 % at 3 years and 21.9 % at 5 years. Major interventions included glaucoma drainage device (GDD) in 103 eyes and trans-scleral cyclophotocoagulation (TSCPC) in 22 eyes. Complications were more common in the GDD group. Conclusions NVG comprised 5.8 % of glaucoma patients seen in a tertiary Chinese hospital. DR was identified as the commonest cause and probably reflects the increasing prevalence of diabetes in China. Surgical interventions were partly determined by insurance status and personal finances. GDD was the commonest surgical intervention used and also had the most complications.