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Peripheral vitreoretinal abnormality and its correlation with malignant glaucoma in nanophthalmos with secondary angle closure glaucoma

Eye volume 39, pages 2918–2925 (2025)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Background

To evaluate the peripheral vitreoretinal abnormality (PVA) and its correlation with the risk of malignant glaucoma (MG) in nanophthalmos with secondary angle closure glaucoma (NSACG).

Methods

This prospective case series included 47 NSACG eyes with axial length (AL) < 21 mm from 25 patients. PVA was defined as a hyperreflective echo at the peripheral vitreoretinal region under ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM). Eyes were categorised into two groups based on the presence (PVA group) or absence (NPVA group) of PVA. AL, lens thickness (LT), radius of corneal curvature (K1: flat, K2: steep), and corneal cylinder degree (CYL) were measured by IOL-Master. Anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens vault (LV), corneal limbus thickness (CLT), trabecular-ciliary processes distance (TCPD) and angle (TCPA), and peripheral iris thickness (PIT) were measured by UBM. MG incidence was recorded during a minimum 2-year follow-up.

Results

PVA was detected in 29 eyes(62%) from 16 patients (64%). PVA eyes had shorter AL, TCPD, TCPA and larger PIT, LT, LV, CLT, K1, K2 compared to NPVA eyes (all P < 0.05). Thirteen eyes (45%) in the PVA group developed MG postoperatively vs none in the NPVA group (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis, adjusted for AL, identified older age, greater angle occlusion, larger K2, higher CYL, thicker LT and CLT as significant risk factors for MG (all P < 0.05).

Conclusions

We first reported PVA under UBM in NSACG eyes, which may partially explain their anatomical predisposition to advanced ACG and MG, and aid in the management of these eyes.

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Fig. 1: Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) and measurement parameters of anterior segment and peripheral vitreoretinal abnormality (PVA) in NSACG eyes.
Fig. 2: Generalised estimating equations analysis of factors associated with quantitative PVA related parameters in PVA eyes.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are not openly available due to reasons of sensitivity and are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. Data are located in controlled access data storage at Beijing Tongren Eye Center.

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Acknowledgements

None.

Funding

Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.82171050) and Beijing Municipal Science & Technology Commission (Grant No. Z221100007422057). The sponsor or funding organisation had no role in the design or conduct of this research.

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Author notes

  1. These authors contributed equally: Yan Gao, Yan Shi.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Beijing Tongren Eye Center Research Ward, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Beijing Institute of Ophthalmology, Beijing Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences Key Laboratory, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China

    Yan Gao, Yan Shi, Xiaowei Yu, Hongyu Zhong, Feng Mei, Xueting Pei, Shuhua Wang & Zhigang Fan

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  1. Yan Gao
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Contributions

All authors contributed to the study conception and design. Material preparation and data analysis were performed by YG and YS. YG, XWY, FM, HYZ, XTP and SHW collected the data. The first draft of the manuscript was written by YG and YS, and all authors commented on previous versions of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Zhigang Fan.

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Gao, Y., Shi, Y., Yu, X. et al. Peripheral vitreoretinal abnormality and its correlation with malignant glaucoma in nanophthalmos with secondary angle closure glaucoma. Eye 39, 2918–2925 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-025-03984-y

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