Newborn Glaucoma: A Neglected Manifestation of Congenital Rubella Syndrome

Purpose: To study the frequency of intrauterine rubella infection in a cohort of neonatal-onset glaucoma (NOG) and its effect on the treatment outcomes.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Participants: Infants with NOG presenting to the pediatric glaucoma service at a tertiary care center in northern India at Chandigarh between January 1, and September 30, 2018, with a minimum postoperative follow-up of 1 year were included in this study.

Methods: Rubella immunoglobulin-M (IgM) antibodies were tested in all patients. Surgery for intraocular pressure (IOP) control comprised combined trabeculotomy with trabeculectomy or goniotomy. Presenting features and treatment outcomes at 1 year were compared among infants with and without rubella-IgM antibodies.

Results: Of 27 eligible infants, 7 (25.9%) were rubella-IgM positive, and all had bilateral glaucoma. One eye in a rubella-positive baby was an unsightly blind eye and required a prosthesis. A total of 13 eyes of 7 patients were compared with 34 eyes of 20 rubella-negative patients. There was no significant difference in mean age and IOP at presentation. Rubella-positive infants had significantly more opaque corneas (P < 0.001), shorter eyes (P < 0.001), and smaller corneal diameters (P = 0.007) at presentation. Two patients in the rubella group had bilateral cataracts, 3 patients had heart disease, and 1 patient had sensorineural deafness. Salt-and-pepper retinopathy was noted in both rubella-positive infants where fundus evaluation was possible. Despite comparable IOP control (P = 0.51), the corneal clarity remained significantly worse in the rubella-positive patients (P = 0.02).

Conclusions: Twenty-five percent of those with newborn glaucoma had underlying intrauterine rubella infection, thus making them susceptible for development of congenital rubella syndrome (CRS). Neonatal-onset glaucoma is an important component of CRS, which may present without buphthalmos and persistent corneal clouding despite good IOP control.