PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - D Yorston
AU  - P T Khaw
TI  - A randomised trial of the effect of intraoperative 5-FU on the outcome of trabeculectomy in east Africa
AID  - 10.1136/bjo.85.9.1028
DP  - 2001 Sep 01
TA  - British Journal of Ophthalmology
PG  - 1028--1030
VI  - 85
IP  - 9
4099  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/85/9/1028.short
4100  - http://bjo.bmj.com/content/85/9/1028.full
SO  - Br J Ophthalmol2001 Sep 01; 85
AB  - AIMS To determine if intraoperative application of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) improves the prognosis for trabeculectomy in east Africa. METHODS 68 eyes with chronic open angle glaucoma were included in a randomised trial of intraoperative 5-FU versus placebo. Main outcome measures were intraocular pressures at 6 months and probability of failure at 2 years. RESULTS 180 days after surgery the mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was 17.4 (SD 6.1) mm Hg in the placebo group and 16.9 (5.8) mm Hg in the 5-FU group. By 2 years after trabeculectomy, the probability of successful IOP control was 70.6% in the placebo group, and 88.8% in the 5-FU group. The placebo group was 2.18 times (95% CI 0.67 to 7.15) more likely to require additional IOP lowering procedures than the 5-FU group. Among patients followed for 2 years, 30% lost 0.3 logMAR units of visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS Trabeculectomy in Africa has an acceptable success rate which may be enhanced by the use of intraoperative 5-FU. It is estimated that this would cost approximately £1.25 per trabeculectomy failure prevented.