Conjunctival Microangiopathy in a Patient with Neovascular Glaucoma

PURPOSE To report a case of conjunctival microangiopathy secondary to diabetes presenting as a red eye 5 years after glaucoma implant surgery for neovascular glaucoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS A 52-year-old Tongan male with a past history of neovascular glaucoma secondary to proliferative diabetic retinopathy underwent slitlamp examination and color photography of the anterior and posterior segment, in addition to anterior segment fluorescein angiography. RESULTS The conjunctival venules perilimbally demonstrated tortuosity and dilation (saccular, fusiform and tricornuate). Capillaries were tortuous, with sparse microaneurysm formation, and arterioles were attenuated. Anterior segment fluorescein angiography showed generalized iris ischemia, extensive perilimbal microvascular degenerative changes and leakage of fluorescein into the anterior chamber. We are unaware of previous reports in the literature on conjunctival microangiopathy secondary to diabetes presenting as a red eye. CONCLUSIONS We hypothesized that the clinical features in our case may have been modified by a combination of postoperative wound healing and degenerative vascular remodeling, in addition to microvascular alterations secondary to both diabetes and consequent ocular ischemia, which may have played a role.