{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,19]],"date-time":"2026-09-19T19:04:48Z","timestamp":1789844688742,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":30,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"14","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,7]],"date-time":"2022-07-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1657152000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>(1) Background: The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of topical steroids on conjunctiva in patients undergoing filtration surgery (FS) for glaucoma by using confocal microscopy (CM); (2) Methods: One hundred and four glaucomatous patients were randomized to fluorometholone or lubricants four weeks before FS. CM was performed before treatments and pre-operatively. Dendritic and goblet cell densities (DCD, GCD), stromal meshwork reflectivity (SMR), vascular tortuosity (VT), and intra-ocular pressure (IOP) were the main outcomes. By evaluating treatments and outcomes (12-month success\/failure) as categorical variables, patients were grouped into Group 1, 2, 3, or 4 (success\/failure with fluorometholone, or lubricants); (3) Results: Twelve-month IOP was reduced in Groups 1 and 3 (p &lt; 0.001). After treatments, DCD and SMR were reduced in Groups 1 and 2 (p &lt; 0.01), and 1 and 3 (p &lt; 0.05), respectively. Pre-operative DCD was lower in the steroid compared to lubricant group (p &lt; 0.001), whereas SMR was lower in successful (1 and 3) compared to failed groups (2 and 4) (p = 0.004). There were no significant differences between the fluorometholone and lubricant groups for success percentages. The number of bleb management procedures and IOP lowering medications were lower in Group 1 compared to Groups 2\u20134 (p &lt; 0.05); (4) Conclusions: Topical steroids mitigate conjunctival inflammation and lower the stromal density in patients undergoing FS. These modifications lead to less intensive post-operative management.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm11143959","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,7]],"date-time":"2022-07-07T22:11:47Z","timestamp":1657231907000},"page":"3959","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Topical Steroids and Glaucoma Filtration Surgery Outcomes: An In Vivo Confocal Study of the Conjunctiva"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Leonardo","family":"Mastropasqua","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. d\u2019Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7874-7794","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Lorenza","family":"Brescia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. d\u2019Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"D\u2019Arcangelo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. d\u2019Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mario","family":"Nubile","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. d\u2019Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4440-6569","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giada","family":"D\u2019Onofrio","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. d\u2019Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Michele","family":"Totta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. d\u2019Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Fabiana","family":"Perna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. d\u2019Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"},{"name":"International Agency of Prevention of Blindness, 00185 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Raffaella","family":"Aloia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. d\u2019Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1625-6305","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luca","family":"Agnifili","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Ophthalmology Clinic, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. d\u2019Annunzio of Chieti-Pescara, 66100 Chieti, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,7,7]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"27","DOI":"10.1016\/S0002-9394(01)00923-0","article-title":"The long-term outcome of glaucoma filtration surgery","volume":"132","author":"Parc","year":"2001","journal-title":"Am. 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