Glaucoma Research Paper

Severe and sustained IOP rise secondary to steroid use can lead to secondary open-angle glaucoma causing loss of vision, usually through glaucomatous damage to the optic nerve which necessitates early diagnosis and management.(26,53)

Glaucoma is caused when fluid is overproduced and it can't flow out at its normal rate which causes pressure to build up.

This case study follows a 63-year-old Caucasian man with a 55-year history of long-standing retinal detachment after trauma. He came into their facility and presented pain and redness, a total hyphema, no light perception vision and an intraocular pressure of 60 mmHg (right eye). He disclosed that he has a history of diabetes and coronary artery disease. He also stated he was hit in the eye with a stone 55 years ago. Following anterior chamber washout, he was found to have neovascular glaucoma. After washout and intraocular pressure control, his visual acuity improved to light perception. He underwent vitrectomy, membrane peeling, endolaser and silicone oil placement to reattach his retina, and then a second retinal reattachment procedure Following

Signs/Symptoms: The way a person would know if they have Glaucoma, an eye disease that can make someone go blind, is by looking for the signs or symptoms. Symptoms of Open Angle Glaucoma are patchy blindness spots in the peripheral or central vision and “tunnel” vision in both eyes. The symptoms for Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma are, as said by Glaucoma - Symptoms and Causes by The Mayo Clinic “eye pain, nausea and vomiting, blurred vision, “halos” around lights - which may be rainbow,” red eyes, and sudden sight loss. The symptoms of this kind of Glaucoma have no typical early warning signs. This is the reason people don’t notice it until it is too late, and they end up losing their vision if it is not treated.

The pathogenesis of glaucoma is not fully understood, however, the level of intraocular pressure is being related with the retinal ganglion cell death. The balance between the secretion of aqueous humor by the ciliary body and its drainage through 2 independent pathways: i. the trabecular meshwork; and ii. uveoscleral outflow pathway, determines the intraocular pressure. In patients with open angle glaucoma, there is increased resistance to aqueous outflow through the trabecular meshwork. In contrast, the access to the drainage pathways is obstructed typically by the iris in patients with angle closure

A 6-year-old male underwent an initial eye examination for evaluation of hyperpigmentation of both eyes at 1 year of age. He was diagnosed with benign conjunctival melanosis. He was also diagnosed with an increased cup-to-disc ratio and mildly elevated intraocular pressures in each eye. Intraocular pressure was maintained in the mid-teens bilaterally on topical glaucoma monotherapy. At 4 years of age, he relocated. When he was 5-years-old, he underwent bilateral glaucoma shunt placement elsewhere The operative reports and glaucoma drainage implant (GDI) specifics were not obtainable. No prior or subsequent ocular surgeries were performed. He returned to our care after 2 years. His eye pressures were controlled without glaucoma medications. There were GDIs in the superotemporal quadrant of each eye. In the right eye, there was corneal edema in the superotemporal quadrant extending to the pupillary margin and a 3 millimeter central subcapsular cataract. The shunt tube extended into the anterior chamber approximately 2 millimeters (Figure 1A). The anterior portion of the tube retracted posterior and was barely visible in the anterior chamber with adduction of the eye (Figure 1B). Upon abduction, the tip of the tube travelled up to 6 mm towards the 4:00 position (Figure 2A) (Video). Intermittently, the tip of the tube would dive posterior to the iris at the 4:00 position to touch the lens (Figure 2B).

Mechanisms have been proposed to explain the role of the ciliary body in ‘pushing’ forms of secondary angle-closure glaucoma:

There are several types of glaucoma. The two main types of glaucoma, are open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma. In open-angle glaucoma, the angle the angle in your eye where the iris meets, the cornea is as wide and open as it should be, but the eye’s drainage canals become clogged over time, causing an increase in internal eye pressure and later damaging the optic nerve. Angle-closure glaucoma is caused by a rapid or sudden increase in intraocular pressure (IOP), the pressure in the eye. A fluid is continually produced inside, and drains out of, the normal eye. The fluid, is called aqueous humor. Aqueous humor is not like tears, which are only on the outside of the eye.

"Glaucoma is a condition that causes damage to your eye's optic nerve and gets worse over time". (WebMD) Glaucoma is interlinked with the pressure in the eye. No one knows the exact cause of the glaucoma. Doctors think the main cause of the glaucoma is the pressure in the eye. Some people with the normal eye pressure also suffer with glaucoma. There are different kinds of glaucoma such as open angle glaucoma, Angle closure glaucoma, Normal tension glaucoma, Congenital and infantile glaucoma, and secondary glaucoma’s. Beta–adrenergic blockers and prostaglandins are the most frequently used topical medications at present.

Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the bundle of optic nerves behind the eye. Whitnall’s hypothesis was nerve inflammation, caused by traction of the medial and superior recti, on the optic nerve.This would cause visual loss, pain, loss of color vision, flashing lights and visual field loss. Optic neuritis, being a demyelinating inflammation, meaning there is damage occurring to the protective covering of the myelin sheath, that is surrounding nerve fibers in the brain and spinal cord. The direct cause of optic neuritis is unknown. It is unknown but believed that the immune system attacks the myelin sheath of the optic nerve, resulting in enough inflammation to cause damage to the myelin. Normally the myelin sheath helps conduct electrical impulses from the eye to the brain, converting it into visual information. When optic neuritis occurs the impulses are stopped resulting in visual loss. This only occurs in one eye.

Glaucoma develops when a fluid called aqueous humour within the eyes cannot drain properly and pressure builds up, known as the intraocular pressure. Under normal circumstances, the fluid would be drained out of the eyes through tubes. This can damage the optic nerve and also the nerve fibres from the Retina. The Retina is the layer of light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye.

Glaucoma is a "multi-factorial, complex eye disease with specific characteristics such as optic nerve damage and visual field loss". It embodies many conditions, all of which can harm or damage the optic nerve and the retina, which can solemn lead to blindness if left untreated. Generally, glaucoma is connected to and is associated with high IOP. IOP fluctuates throughout the day, so it can be both high and low and different periods of time. IOP can occur when the drainage channels within the eye become slightly or fully blocked, therefore preventing the fluid located within the eyeball (aqueous humour) from draining or excreting properly and resulting in a build-up of pressure. Once damage or loss of vision has occurred, it cannot be reversed, but treatment can help prevent further harm to the eyes. Often, treatments start with giving eye drops, which can work toward reducing IOP by either reducing the production of aqueous humour or by assisting fluids out of the eyes. Traditionally speaking, the screening which were done for glaucoma happened at an optician’s check-up. Now however, there are tests which measure the IOP, by using snapshot reading. With this method, even borderline cases can be missed. Thankfully, a new, smart electronic contact lens called the Triggerfish Sensor is currently being used for the first time in fight against a leading cause of blindness. This sensor could assist experts diagnose the eye problem earlier and treat it more efficiently and effectively. The Triggerfish lens is made up of soft silicone and is a single use item piece. The sensor on the lens contains a microprocessor, an adhesive receiving antenna and a small battery-operated recorder. The antenna is strapped/fixed to the side of the head and around the eyes and continuously receives data input or wireless readings from the chip in the lens. After the 24-hour period that the lens is on

painful and stressful disorder that can cause unrepairable sight problems, if left un-treated. How do we treat this disease? As the research shows there has not been a dramatic change in the eye drop treatment approach, to manage this disease. Dry eye is a common condition and often a chronic problem (particularly in older adults), in which a person does not have enough quality tears to lubricate and nourish the eye. Dry eye disease is a multifactorial disease in the ocular

Usually a surgical procedure for cataracts, cornea transplant or a vision complaint is necessary and may

It's usually resolved through surgery which can restore a large percentage of vision unlike with glaucoma.