CORNEAL DYSTROPHY FOLLOWING SECONDARY INTRAOCULAR OPERATIONS

BULLOUS keratopathy is well known to occur in eyes with acute glaucoma, absolute glaucoma, and chronic iridocyclitis. This condition usually follows multiple operative procedures with persistent elevation of intraocular tension. This type of epithelial dystrophy has also been reported after cataract extraction in eyes with preexisting cornea guttata, or endothelial dystrophy, supposedly facilitated by trauma to the endothelium at the time of operation. However, there is no statistically significant series comparing the incidence of postoperative dystrophy in cases with and without preexisting endothelial change as determined by careful preoperative slit lamp examination. There have been no reports of corneal dystrophy following secondary intraocular operations upon eyes without prior endothelial dystrophy or postoperative glaucoma. It may be of interest, therefore, to report several cases in which epithelial edema and bullous keratopathy followed a secondary intraocular procedure upon an eye which had undergone previous intraocular operation for an acute attack of glaucoma.