GLAUCOMA

The word glaucoma comes

from the Greek γλαύκωμα,

"opacity of the crystalline

lens"

•Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the
optic nerve suffers damage, permanently
impacting vision in the affected eye(s) and
progressing to complete blindness if untreated.

•The nerve damage involves loss of retinal
ganglion cells in a characteristic pattern.

•There are many different sub-types of
glaucoma but they can all be considered a type
of optic neuropathy

Glaucoma has been nicknamed

the

"silent thief of sight"

There are two main types of
glaucoma:

1. open-angle glaucoma

2.

closed-angle glaucoma

Pathophysiology

The major risk factor for most

glaucomas and focus of treatment is

increased intraocular

pressure

Causes and risk factors

There are several causes for glaucoma:
• Ocular hypertension (increased pressure within

the eye)

• People of African descent
• Elderly people
• People with a family history of glaucoma
• Many East Asian groups
• Other factors can cause glaucoma, known as

"secondary glaucomas"

Diagnosis

Screening for glaucoma is usually performed as part of

a standard eye examination performed by

ophthalmologists.

Testing for glaucoma should include :
• measurements of the intraocular pressure via

tonometry

• changes in size or shape of the eye
• chamber angle examination
• gonioscopy
• examination of the optic nerve to look for any visible

damage to it, or change in the cup-to-disc ratio

• also rim appearance and vascular change

Medication

• Intraocular pressure can be lowered

with medication, usually eye drops.

• There are several different classes of

medications to treat glaucoma with
several different medications in each
class.

Laser surgery

• It is a method that dates back to when the drops

do not help or if the medication is not
recommended, but sometimes, so that after laser
treatment, further treatment is needed using the
drops.

• Treatment with a laser is used most often in

glaucoma with closed angle glaucoma

Surgery

• Surgery is the primary therapy for those

with congenital glaucoma.

• Generally, these operations are a

temporary solution, as there is not yet a
cure for glaucoma.

• Surgical procedures in glaucoma is

excision of the iris (in glaucoma with
closed angle glaucoma), or the most
common treatment used in various forms
of glaucoma, called trabeculectomy

Trabeculectomy

Canaloplasty