Glaucoma
Jost B. Jonas, MD(1), Tin Aung MD(2), Rupert R. Bourne, MD(3), Alain M. Bron, MD(4), Robert
Ritch, MD(5), Songhomitra Panda-Jonas, MD(1)
(1) Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty Mannheim of the Ruprecht-Karls-University of
Heidelberg, Germany
(2) Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore; Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore;
Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of
Singapore, Singapore
(3) Vision & Eye Research Unit, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
(4) Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital, Dijon, France; Eye and Nutrition Research
Group, Bourgogne Franche-Comté University, Dijon, France
(5) Einhorn Clinical Research Center, New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, New York,
NY 10003, USA
Running title: Glaucoma
Key words: Glaucoma; Open-angle glaucoma; Angle-closure glaucoma; Normal-tension
glaucoma; Exfoliation syndrome; Pigment dispersion syndrome; Congenital glaucoma; Trans-
lamina cribrosa pressure difference; Trans-lamina cribrosa pressure gradient; Intraocular
pressure; Optic nerve head; retinal nerve fiber layer; Optical coherence tomography; Perimetry;
Glaucoma surgery;
Funding: None
Corresponding author: Prof. J. Jonas, Universitäts-Augenklinik, Theodor-Kutzer-Ufer 1-3, 68167
Mannheim, Germany; Phone: **49-6221-3929320; e-mail: [email protected]
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SummaryGlaucoma is a heterogeneous group of diseases with an intraocular pressure (IOP) higher than
the pressure resistance of the optic nerve head. It is characterized by optic nerve head cupping
and visual field damage. It is the most frequent cause of irreversible blindness worldwide with an
age-standardized prevalence of 3% in the population aged 40+ years. Chronic glaucomas are
painless and symptomatic visual field defects occur late. Early detection by ophthalmological
examination is therefore mandatory. The most common risk factors for primary open-angle
glaucoma, the most common form of glaucoma, include elevated IOP, older age, Sub-Saharan
African ethnicity, positive family history and high myopia. Older age, hyperopia and East Asian
ethnicity are main risk factors for primary angle-closure glaucoma. Glaucoma diagnosis is based
on ophthalmoscopy, perimetry and tonometry. Therapy is based on medication to lower IOP,
laser treatment, and surgical intervention if these treatment modalities fail to prevent progression.
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IntroductionRanking above other major eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration, diabetic
retinopathy and myopia, glaucoma is the most frequent cause of irreversible blindness
worldwide.1–3 Since chronic open-angle glaucoma is usually painless and can progress unnoticed
by the patient until central visual acuity and reading ability are affected late in the disease, early
detection is important before subjective symptoms develop. The importance of glaucoma as a
public health problem will continue to increase as most glaucomas are age-dependent and the
number of older individuals is increasing worldwide due to demographic trends and longer life
expectancy.3 This article outlines the epidemiology, pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis and
therapy, and potential future developments in the field.
TerminologyThe term “glaucoma” includes a panoply of diseases which differ in their etiology, risk factors,
demographics, symptoms, duration, therapy and prognosis. They have in common a
characteristic optic neuropathy underlying irreversible visual loss. The term was used inclusively
prior to the increasing discovery of subdivisions, which are themselves distinct diseases with
different genetic and pathophysiologic risk factors. Depending on the morphology of the anterior
chamber angle (the region between the peripheral cornea and the peripheral iris), glaucoma can
be broadly divided into open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma (Fig. 1, 2). In open-
angle glaucoma, the aqueous humour has free access in the anterior chamber angle to the
trabecular meshwork and Schlemm´s canal, through which it leaves the eye. In “secondary”
open-angle glaucomas, the outflow resistance through the trabecular meshwork/Schlemm´s canal
is increased due to a cause visible on eye examination, such as in pigmentary glaucoma and
exfoliative glaucoma.4,5 In primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) (both “high-tension” and
“normal-tension”), no visible cause is evident on examination, but relatively recent and ongoing
discoveries are elucidating differences in both genetic parameters and systemic risk factors
allowing increasing differentiation of POAG, which was until recently thought of as a single
disease.
In angle-closure, the peripheral iris is in contact with the trabecular meshwork at levels up
to Schwalbe’s line, so that the anterior chamber angle is blocked by iris tissue and the aqueous
humour has no access to the outflow system.6,7 In primary angle-closure (PAC, “push”
mechanism), the iridocorneal contact is caused by a forward bulging of the peripheral iris, due to
an increased pressure difference between the posterior chamber and anterior chamber of the
eye, or due to an anatomical predisposition of the morphology of the anterior chamber angle.
Primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) is present when glaucomatous optic nerve and visual
field damage occurs. In secondary angle-closure glaucoma (“pull” mechanism), the iridocorneal
contact is caused by the iris being pulled into the angle by causes such as neovascularization in
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the iris root, usually provoked by ischemic retinopathy (“neovascular glaucoma”), iridocorneal
endothelial syndrome, or peripheral anterior synechiae caused by uveitis.8 In congenital
glaucoma, the trans-trabecular outflow is reduced, often due to a not (yet) fully developed
trabecular meshwork and Schlemm´s canal.9 The increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) in
children younger than 2 years results in an enlargement of the globe, also called buphthalmos.
EpidemiologyAs reported by the Global Burden of Disease Study, 32.4 million individuals worldwide were blind
(defined as visual acuity in the better eye of <3/60) and 191 million individuals were vision
impaired (defined as visual acuity in the better eye of <6/18, ≥3/60) in 2010.10 Glaucoma was the
cause for blindness in 2.1 million (95% uncertainty interval (UI):1.9, 2.6) people and was the
cause for visual impairment in 4.2 million (95% UI:3.7, 5.8). Glaucoma caused 6.6% (95% UI: 5.9,
7.9) of all blindness worldwide in 2010 and 2.2% (95% UI: 2.0, 2.8) of all visual impairment. Due
to its association with older age, glaucoma prevalence was lower in regions with younger
populations than in high-income regions with relatively old populations. From 1990 to 2010, the
number of blind or visually impaired due to glaucoma increased by 0.8 million (95%UI: 0.7, 1.1) or
62% and by 2.3 million (95%UI: 2.1, 3.5) or 83%, respectively. The age-standardized global
prevalence of glaucoma related blindness in adults aged 50+ years decreased from 0.2% (95%
UI: 0.1, 0.2) in 1990 to 0.1% (95% UI: 0.1, 0.2) in 2010. The age-standardized global prevalence
of glaucoma related visual impairment for the same age group increased from 0.2% (95%UI: 0.2,
0.3) to 0.3% (95% UI: 0.2, 0.4). Between 1990 and 2010, the percentage of global blindness and
visual impairment caused by glaucoma increased from 4.4% (4.0, 5.1) to 6.6%, and from 1.2%
(1.1, 1.5) to 2.2% (2.0, 2.8), respectively. Age-standardized prevalence of glaucoma related
blindness and visual impairment did not differ markedly between world regions nor between
women (0.1% (95% UI: 0.1, 0.2) and 0.3% (95% UI: 0.2, 0.4), respectively) and men (0.1% (95%
UI: 0.1, 0.2) and 0.3% (95% UI:0.3, 0.4), respectively).10
In a recent meta-analysis, the global prevalence of glaucoma was 3.54% (95% credible
Intervals (CrI), 2.09-5.82) for the population aged 40-80 years.3 POAG with a pooled global
prevalence of 3.05% was six times more common than PACG with a pooled global prevalence of
0.50%. The prevalence of POAG was highest in Africa (4.20%; 95% CrI, 2.08-7.35), and the
prevalence of PACG was highest in Asia (1.09%; 95% CrI, 0.43-2.32). In 2013, the number of
people aged 40-80 years with glaucoma worldwide was assessed to be 64.3 million, predicted to
increase to 76 million in 2020 and to 112 million in 2040. Men were more likely to have POAG
than women (odds ratio [OR], 1.36; 95% CrI, 1.23-1.52), and people of African ancestry were
more likely to have POAG than people of European ancestry (OR, 2.80; 95% CrI, 1.83-4.06). The
prevalence of glaucoma-related bilateral blindness or unilateral blindness was higher in the
PACG group than in the open-angle glaucoma group, suggesting that PACG has a worse visual
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outcome and prognosis.
Anatomy and PhysiologyIntraocular pressure (normal range: 10-21 mm Hg) is regulated by a balance between the
secretion of aqueous humour by the ciliary body in the posterior chamber and its drainage from
the anterior chamber angle either through the trabecular meshwork and Schlemm´s canal into the
episcleral veins or via the uveoscleral outflow pathway through the iris root into the uveoscleral
interface (into the ciliary body?) (Fig. 1, 2). The physiological functions of the aqueous humour
include maintaining the IOP to give the eye a constant shape and size (what is of utmost
importance for the optical system of the eye), nutrition of the lens and cornea, and heat
convection in the anterior chamber. Elevated IOP is due to decreased outflow facility of aqueous
humour.
In glaucomatous optic neuropathy, typical morphological changes can be detected with
ophthalmoscopy in the retinal nerve fiber layer and at the optic nerve head (Fig. 3-5).11–13 The
retinal nerve fiber layer inside the eye consists of the retinal ganglion cell (RGC) axons and forms
the inner layer of the retina. It is located between the RGC layer on its outer side and the inner
limiting membrane as the basal membrane of the retinal Müller cells on its inner side.
The optic nerve head (also called optic disc) is the anterior tissue of the optic nerve
located 15° nasal to the fovea (the center of the macula). Its diameter is about 1.5 to 2.0 mm. Its
area, showing an inter-individual variability of about 1:7, is associated with the ethnic background:
Caucasians have on an average smaller optic discs as compared to Chinese, followed by Indians
and Africans or individuals of African descent (Fig. 3).15 Its size is constant after about age 15
years, except for highly myopic eyes, in which the optic disc secondarily enlarges in association
with the axial elongation of the eye. The RGC axons exit the eye at the optic disc and form the
optic nerve posterior to the eye. The optic disc also serves for the exit of the central retinal vein
and for entry of the central retinal artery. The base of the optic nerve head consists of the lamina
cribrosa, a perforated collagenous sieve-like structure through which the optic nerve fibers and
blood vessels take their course, and which is the site at which the damage to the RGC
axons/optic nerve fibers occurs in glaucoma (Fig. 6).16 It is the frontier between the intravitreal
compartment with the IOP and the retro-laminar compartment with the optic nerve tissue pressure
and the retrobulbar cerebrospinal fluid pressure. 17 The trans-lamina cribrosa pressure difference
has been defined as difference between IOP and retrobulbar pressure, mainly the retrobulbar
cerebrospinal fluid pressure. 18 Inside the optic disc, the RGC axons form the neuroretinal rim,
while the disc center is occupied by the optic cup, a nerve fiber free region. Under physiological
conditions, rim size and cup size increase with larger optic disc size. The neuroretinal rim has a
characteristic shape following the so called ISNT (inferior–superior–nasal–temporal) rule; it is
usually widest in the inferior disc region and superior disc region, and it is thinnest in the temporal
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disc sector.19 In the retro-laminar region, the RGC axons form the optic nerve, which contains
approximately 1.4 million myelinated axons at birth and physiologically loses about 0.3% of these
axons per year of age.
PathophysiologyIn contrast to a variety of causes for elevated IOP or reasons for increased susceptibility of the
optic nerve head to glaucoma whether or not IOP is elevated, all glaucomas have in common
typical optic nerve damage, or glaucomatous optic neuropathy, a neurodegenerative disorder.
Elevated IOP can be due to specific causes, such as liberation of pigment granules from the iris
pigment epithelium, as is the case in both pigment dispersion syndrome/glaucoma and exfoliation
syndrome/glaucoma.5 Glaucomas in which a definitive cause is recognizable on slit-lamp
examination are termed “secondary” glaucomas.
In pigment dispersion syndrome, which has its onset in the second and third decade, the
peripheral iris is concave and rubs against the zonular apparatus during accommodation and
during pupillary dilation and constriction. It is far more common than previously believed and
often goes undiagnosed because of low suspicion of glaucoma in the younger population. It can
have an autosomal dominant inheritance and leads to glaucoma in about 10% of affected
individuals. Men and women are equally affected but glaucoma is about three times as common
in men. Eighty percent of those manifesting signs of the disorder are myopes and 20%
emmetropes. Its occurrence in hyperopes is extremely rare, but these people serve as carriers of
the gene. The incidence of glaucoma increases in women after menopause. The iridozonular
friction between the posterior surface of the iris and zonule fibers of the lens leads to disruption of
the iris pigment epithelium and the liberated pigment is deposited on structures throughout the
anterior chamber, including the trabecular meshwork, where it may increase aqueous outflow
resistance and lead to elevated IOP.20
Exfoliation syndrome is an age-related disease and is the most common recognizable
cause of open-angle glaucoma worldwide, accounting for the majority of cases in some
countries.4 It is estimated to affect about 80 million people worldwide and is most common in
Caucasians. About 1/3 of affected individuals develop glaucoma, which carries a more severe
prognosis than POAG. It is characterized by the production, deposition, and progressive
accumulation of a white, fibrillar, extracellular material in many ocular tissues, most prominent on
the anterior lens surface and pupillary border and represents a generalized disorder of elastic tissue and
the extracellular matrix (Fig. 7).21 Rubbing of the iris over the lens causes disruption of the deposited
exfoliation material, while the material itself acts like sandpaper, disrupting the iris pigment
epithelium and leading to pigment liberation, both of which are deposited in the trabecular
meshwork, leading to increased outflow resistance and often markedly elevated IOP. Exfoliation
syndrome causes not only open-angle, but also is a prominent cause of angle-closure glaucoma.
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It is not a “type” or “form” of glaucoma, but the glaucoma is an ocular manifestation of a systemic
disorder, and associations with other disorders are being steadily assessed. These disorders
include hearing loss, cerebrovascular and cardiovascular disease, and disorders of elastic tissue,
including pelvic organ prolapse and inguinal hernia. It is considered a conformational disorder of
fibrillin and has been shown to be a disorder of autophagy and mitochondrial dysfunction, similar to
other neurodegenerative diseases.22 Two single nucleotide polymorphisms of the LOXL1 gene are
present in 99% of affected Caucasians, but a large portion of the unaffected populations,
including non-Caucasians, also have these polymorphisms, implying that they are not causative
in themselves.23 An additional 5 genes have recently been described. Environmental factors
appear also to influence the manifestation of the disease.24
In POAG, aqueous humour outflow resistance is increased to yet unknown factors. The
level of IOP varies markedly and reaches down to subnormal values of as low as 10 mmHg. If in
the case of POAG, glaucomatous optic nerve damage developed in the presence of statistically
normal IOP levels, the condition has also been called normal-pressure glaucoma, showing the full
range of POAG. In normal-pressure glaucoma, aqueous outflow resistance is normal or may be
slightly increased.
In primary angle-closure glaucoma, as mentioned, aqueous humour access to the outflow
pathways is blocked by contact with or without adhesions between the peripheral iris and the
anterior trabecular meshwork, where Schwalbe’s line forms the boundary between that structure
and the cornea. Reasons are an increased pressure difference between the posterior chamber
and the anterior chamber due to an increased trans-pupillary flow resistance in association with
anatomic parameters, such as an increased lens vault, an enlarged contact area between the
posterior iris and the lens surface, and an abnormal insertion of the iris root on the ciliary body
(Fig. 1).7 In secondary angle-closure glaucoma, a neovascularization in the anterior chamber has
developed as reaction of an ischemic retinopathy, such as proliferative diabetic retinopathy, with
formation of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).25 The newly formed blood vessels cover
the anterior chamber angle, block the latter by formation of a new basement membrane on the
surface, and finally retract the peripheral iris peripheral cornea, irreversibly blocking the anterior
chamber angle.
The increased IOP, or an IOP higher than the pressure sensitivity of the optic nerve head,
can cause mechanical stress and strain on the lamina cribrosa at the bottom of the optic nerve
head and on adjacent tissues.16 It may result in compression, deformation, and eventual
remodeling of the lamina cribrosa with consequent mechanical axonal damage and disruption of
the orthograde and retrograde axonal transport.11,26,27 Disruption of the retrograde axoplasmic
flow decreases the delivery of trophic factors from the neurons of the lateral geniculate nucleus to
the retinal ganglion cell bodies in the retina.28,29 Animal studies with experimentally induced
ocular hypertension demonstrated a blockade of both orthograde and retrograde axonal transport
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at the level of the lamina cribrosa at an early stage of glaucoma.28,29
A low ocular perfusion pressure, including low systemic blood pressure, has been
reported to be associated with glaucomatous optic neuropathy. 30–33 Blood pressure follows a
diurnal curve distribution, similar to that of IOP, and it is normal for blood pressure to be lower at
night, but overdipping is associated with an increased risk for glaucoma progression, and
perhaps, development. 32,32 We caution general physicians and cardiologists against giving blood
pressure lowering medications at bedtime in patients with glaucoma. It has to be considered that
the strength of IOP as a risk factor for glaucoma may preclude any useful interpretation of ocular
perfusion pressure, defined as difference of diastolic blood pressure minus IOP, in unadjusted
statistical analyses, and that after adjusting for IOP the correlations no longer represent the risk
caused by ocular perfusion pressure. 34 Also, an increase in the central retinal venous pressure in
glaucoma was not taken into account when the ocular perfusion pressure was calculated. 35 It
remains unclear whether the mitochondria located in a high concentration in the pre-laminar
region play a direct role in the pathogenesis of glaucomatous optic neuropathy. 36,37 In a similar
manner, the pathways from gene mutations contributing to glaucoma and the eventual
dysfunction of the encoded proteins have not been fully explored yet. 38,39
Glaucoma-associated loss of neurons is not limited to the RGCs, but extends into the
lateral geniculate nucleus and the visual cortex.40,41 With respect to different classes of RGCs,
clinical studies and histological investigations have suggested that the glaucomatous damage
affects all subsets of RGCs in a similar manner.40,42,43 Studies also showed that the glaucomatous
loss of RGCs and their axons was accompanied by changes in the glial cell population, including
astrocytes and the retinal microglial cells.44,45
Risk Factors The main risk factors for both development and progression of glaucoma are an IOP too high
relative to the pressure sensitivity of the optic nerve head, 46–51 older age, 3,52–55 ethnic
background, 53,56 positive family history for glaucoma, stage of the disease, and high myopia. 57–59
In a recent randomized placebo-controlled trial conducted by Garway-Heath and colleagues,
medical lowering of IOP resulted in preservation of visual field in patients with open-angle
glaucoma. 51 A meta-analysis of population-based studies revealed that the odds ratio of the
prevalence of POAG was 1.73 (95% CrI, 1.63-1.82) for each decade increase in age beyond age
40. 3 Similarly, the prevalence of PACG increases with older age. Across all ethnicities,
individuals of African ancestry had the highest prevalence of glaucoma (6.11%; 95% CrI, 3.83-
9.13) and POAG (5.40%; 95% CrI, 3.17-8.27), while Asians had the highest prevalence of PACG
(1.20%; 95% CrI, 0.46-2.55). 3 Gender has been inconsistently associated with the prevalence of
open-angle glaucoma, yet two meta-analyses of population-based glaucoma studies reported a
higher prevalence of POAG in men than in women with an odds ratio of 1.36 for men. 3,53 High
myopia with a myopic refractive error of more than -6 diopters or more than -8 diopters is another
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strong risk factor for glaucoma. 57–60 Correspondingly, the Singapore Malay Study Eye showed an
association between moderate or higher myopia (worse than -4D) and higher prevalence of
POAG. 59 Since IOP is often within the normal range and since the myopic appearance of the
optic nerve head makes the detection of glaucomatous changes difficult, the diagnosis of
glaucomatous optic neuropathy can be missed in myopic eyes. Studies have suggested that the
main factor for the myopia-associated increase in glaucoma susceptibility is the myopia
associated enlargement of the optic disc. 60 Secondary stretching and thinning of the lamina
cribrosa in association with an elongation and thinning of the peripapillary scleral flange could
lead to marked changes in the biomechanics of the optic nerve head and an increase in the
glaucoma susceptibility. Another factor may be the biomechanics of the optic nerve dura mater,
which pulls on the peripapillary sclera in eye movements and increases the stress and strain of
the lamina cribrosa. 61
Socioeconomic status has an influence on the rate of early detection of glaucoma and on
the commencement and compliance of therapy.62,63 It is therefore associated with prognosis. It
has remained unclear whether nutritional status and diet have an influence on the prevalence and
incidence of any type of the glaucomas. In a similar manner, the relationship between POAG and
diabetes mellitus,64,65 arterial hypertension,66,67 body mass index,68 obstructive sleep apnea,69 and
oral contraceptive use,70 has remained unclear. Although controversial, low cerebrospinal fluid
pressure 71,72 and low ocular perfusion pressure including a low systemic blood pressure may
potentially play a role in glaucoma. 30–34,73,74
A thinner central cornea has been considered a risk factor for glaucoma, since a thin
cornea leads to falsely low measurements of IOP. 52,75,76 Besides being a diagnostic risk factor for
the underestimation of IOP and thus for the detection of glaucoma, it was reported that a thin
cornea, due to a hypothetical association with a thin lamina cribrosa could additionally be a
structural risk factor. An association between corneal thickness and thickness of the lamina
cribrosa has however, not been shown yet; in contrast, in a histomorphometric study both
parameters were not significantly correlated with each other. 77 Correspondingly, corneal
biomechanical parameters such as corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor were not
significantly correlated with the severity of PACG nor was central corneal thickness associated
with glaucoma in an East Asian population. 78,79
The main risk factors for development of PAC are older age, axial hyperopia, East Asian
ethnicity, and female sex. 6,7,80 –83 The main ocular risk factors include a crowded anterior segment
in a small eye, with a smaller width, area and volume of the anterior chamber, a thicker and more
anteriorly positioned lens, thicker irides with greater iris curvature, and a greater lens vault in
association with a short axial length of the eye. 80 –8 3 The lack of space in the anterior chamber
leads to a higher risk of blockage of the angle by peripheral iris. The obstruction of the angle may
occur acutely, leading to acute and painful angle-closure glaucoma, or it may develop chronically,
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associated with painless chronic angle-closure glaucoma. In addition to biometric parameters of
the anterior ocular segment, choroidal expansion has been been reported to be associated with
untreated and treated, acute and chronic primary angle closure. 84 –86 It is unclear, however,
whether this finding was a cause or effect of angle-closure.
GeneticsSporadic POAG has been found by genome wide association studies (GWAS) to be associated
with several genes such as CDKN2B-AS for predominantly normal-pressure glaucoma, CAV1-
CAV2, TMCO1, and ABCA1 for high pressure glaucoma, and AFAP1, GAS7, TXNRD2, ATXN2,
chromosome 8q22 intergenic region, and SIX1/SIX6 for POAG. 87 –94 This spectrum of POAG loci
was unexpectedly broad. Also, GWAS have identified genetic loci associated with quantitative
glaucoma-related traits such as IOP, central corneal thickness and optic disc size. 23,93,95 –105
Unexpectedly, the number of genetic loci shared between IOP and the POAG phenotype was
limited (CAV1-CAV2, TMCO1, ABCA1, and GAS7), suggesting that the genetic susceptibility to
POAG was not solely explained by elevated IOP alone. The genetic associations of glaucoma
vary according to the ethnic group. Common glaucoma susceptibility alleles that are seen in
Caucasians at the genome-wide level (CDKN2B-AS1, TMCO1, CAV1/CAV2, chromosome 8q22
intergenic region, and SIX1/SIX6) appear to have weaker associations with POAG in African-
Americans.
Thus far, genome wide association studies on PACG implicate 8 genetic loci that showed
strong association with disease.38,90 These loci suggest the involvement of cell-cell adhesion
(PLEKHA7, FERMT2, and EPDR1), collagen metabolism (COL11A1), type 2 diabetes-related
pathway (GLIS3), and acetylcholine-mediated signaling (CHAT) as important in the PACG
disease process.
Fitting with the results of genetic studies, assessment of family history of glaucoma is
clinically important. Having a first-degree relative with glaucoma has been consistently
associated with an increased risk for POAG and PACG in prevalence surveys. Siblings of
affected individuals have nearly an 8-fold risk of POAG and 5-times risk of angle closure when
compared to siblings of unaffected individuals. The risk for POAG may be stronger when the
affected relative is a sibling rather than a parent or child.
Family linkage studies on patients with a strongly positive family history of glaucoma have
implicated broad chromosomal regions showing significant linkage with POAG and congenital
glaucoma, many genes of which (such as CYP1B1) show very strong disease penetrance.
Genes such as myocilin (MYOC, GLC1A) (CCDS1297.1), optineurin (OPTN, GLC1E)
(CCDS7094.1) and WD repeat domain (GLC1G) (CCDS4102.1) are associated with a
monogenic, autosomal dominant inheritance.87,88 These genes, however, explain the
development of the disease in only less than 10% of all glaucoma patients. To cite an example,
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the MYOC gene at the GLC1A locus encodes the protein myocilin, mutations of which are
generally found in the juvenile or early adult form of POAG with a high IOP. The penetrance for
carriers of disease-associated mutations is approximately 90%. In adult patients with POAG
without a strong family history however, the prevalence of myocilin mutations varies from 3% to
5%. Glaucoma patients with the OPTN (optineurin) gene mutations have POAG with normal IOP.
Optineurin may have a neuroprotective role by reducing the susceptibility of RGCs to apoptotic
stimuli.
Although a number of genes have been found to be associated with glaucoma, the
connection between the gene mutation, the secondary change in the shape of the encoded
protein and the tertiary alteration in the function of this protein have remained unclear. The
genetic findings therefore have not yet markedly contributed to elucidate the pathogenesis of the
glaucomas.
Screening for glaucomaA large proportion of glaucoma patients remain undiagnosed in developed, developing, and
underdeveloped regions (50-90%).63,106 Although screening for glaucoma in the entire population
would be an option, it is not considered logistically feasible. In particular, due to a relatively low
prevalence of about 3% in the population aged 40+years, and since diagnostic measures with
sufficient diagnostic precision are not yet available, general screening for glaucoma would result
in an unacceptable high number of false positive diagnoses. Using a health economic model,
Burr and colleagues compared opportunistic case finding to two proposed screening strategies
for glaucoma in the United Kingdom.107 They found that general population screening was not
cost-effective at the given prevalence rate and that targeted screening of specific subgroups
aligned with the established risk factors would be needed in order to achieve cost-effectiveness.
It holds true also for genetic screening for glaucoma. It is therefore important to select
participants at substantial risk in order for screening programs to be effective. If only one
screening technique can be applied, imaging of the optic nerve and retinal nerve fiber layer is
currently thought to be the best. A single measurement of IOP has a low sensitivity to detect
glaucoma under screening conditions.
DiagnosisSince the chronic glaucomas are painless and measurable visual field defects do not develop at
an early stage of glaucoma, and since defects often do not occur at homonymous locations in
both visual fields, self-detection of glaucoma by affected patients usually occurs at a late stage of
the disease. The mainstay of the detection of glaucoma is the examination of the optic nerve
head and retinal nerve fiber layer. 107 –114 Glaucomatous changes of the optic nerve head include
loss of neuroretinal rim, leading to enlargement of the optic cup (found otherwise only in eyes
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after arteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and in few patients with brain tumors close to the
inner aperture of the optic nerve canal), deepening of the optic cup (partially reversible if the
trans-lamina cribrosa pressure difference reduced to normal or subnormal levels), development
and enlargement of parapapillary beta zone, thinning of the retinal nerve fiber layer, and optic
disc hemorrhages as signs of progression of the disease. These changes can be assessed by
simple ophthalmoscopy or by using imaging techniques such as spectral-domain optical
coherence tomography. The latter is particularly useful for follow-up examinations, since by
electronically comparing digitized images it can detect glaucoma progression.115,116
Tonometry is an essential part of the diagnosis and follow-up of glaucoma although a
relatively large group of patents may have statistically normal IOP measurements.117 The
dependence of the tonometric measurements on the central corneal thickness and curvature has
to be taken into account.118 In eyes with abnormally thick corneas, tonometry gives falsely high
readings, potentially leading to overdiagnosis, and in eyes with abnormally thin corneas, the
tonometric measurements are falsely low, with the risk of underdiagnosis of glaucoma. Central
corneal thickness and corneal curvature should therefore be measured once, so that the
tonometric readings can be corrected accordingly.
Perimetric visual field examination is the second pillar in the diagnosis and follow-up of
glaucomatous optic nerve damage. 46–48 Since a substantial number of optic nerve fibers can be
lost before perimetric defects are detected, the diagnostic precision of perimetry increases with
the stage of glaucoma.119 The advantage of perimetry is that it describes the subjective
psychophysical defect as experienced by the patient. Its disadvantage is a relatively high inter-
visit variability so that at least three perimetric examinations may be necessary to reliably detect
visual field deterioration. Other psychophysical tests, including assessment of glaucoma-related
acquired dyschromatopsis or color vision deficiency, decreased dark adaptation, increased
photophobia and decreased contrast sensitivity are of importance for the quality of vision of the
patient. These modalities however, are not routinely measured due to a high inter-individual and
intra-individual variability.
A potential future development is the application of the newly developed optical
coherence tomography angiography to visualize the superficial and deep retinal vascular network
and in particular the peripapillary radial vascular network.120 Assessment of the latter may be of
diagnostic help in the detection and follow-up of glaucomatous optic neuropathy in highly myopic
eyes in which most other diagnostic methods fail.
Open-angle glaucoma is distinguished from angle-closure glaucoma by gonioscopic
examination of the anterior chamber angle. The main characteristic of PACG compared to open-
angle glaucoma is that the anterior chamber angle is obstructed by apposition of the iris. Like
open-angle glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma in patients of East Asian ethnicity is
predominantly an asymptomatic disease with individuals often unaware they have the disorder
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until advanced visual loss has occurred. In Caucasian populations, acute angle-closure
glaucoma caused by relative pupillary block is more common. It is characterized by an inflamed
eye with a pronounced marked hyperemia of the conjunctiva, corneal edema, a mid-dilated
unreactive pupil, a shallow anterior chamber, and high IOP. It is usually accompanied by severe
ocular pain with blurring of vision with haloes noticed around lights, nausea and vomiting.
Therapy Open-angle glaucoma
The only proven and generally accepted therapy to reduce the risk of further progression of
glaucomatous optic neuropathy is to lower IOP.49,51,121 IOP reduction is achieved by medical
therapy, laser treatment or surgery. The goal is to lower the IOP toward a target level at which
further progression of glaucomatous optic nerve damage is unlikely. The target IOP for a
particular eye is estimated on the pretreatment IOP, the severity of damage, presence of risk
factors for progression, life expectancy, and potential for adverse effects from treatment. One
usually aims for an IOP reduction of 20% to 50%. The target pressure is set lower the greater the
pre-existing optic nerve damage and the more risk factors present. The target IOP should be
estimated on an individual basis and should periodically be re-analyzed by assessing whether the
optic nerve damage is stable or progressed. Several categories of topical IOP-lowering drugs are
available. The choice of medication is influenced by cost, adverse effects, and dosing schedules.
In general, prostaglandin analogues are first-line medical therapy which, delivered once in the
evening, lower IOP by improving uveoscleral outflow. Local side effects include elongation and
darkening of eyelashes, loss of orbital fat (so-called prostaglandin-associated periorbitopathy)
with resulting enophthalmos, iris darkening in eyes with greenish-brown iris color, and periocular
skin pigmentation. An alternative to prostaglandins are β-adrenergic blockers, which reduce IOP
by decreasing aqueous humour production. Applied once (in the morning) or twice (morning and
evening) daily, they can result in systemic side effects including bradycardia, arrhythmias, drop in
blood pressure, reduced libido, and increased obstructive bronchial problems that can lead to an
asthmatic attack. Beta-blockers are contraindicated in patients with a history of chronic
pulmonary obstructive disease, asthma, or bradycardia. Other groups of drugs include topical
carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, that reduce aqueous humour production, and α-adrenergic
agonists (brimonidine), which decrease aqueous humour production and increase uveoscleral
outflow. Miotics, such as pilocarpine, have the longest history of application and reduce IOP by
improving the trans-trabecular outflow. Local side-effects are a varying degree of annoying
involuntary accommodation in patients younger than 40 years and pupillary constriction. The
latter is inconvenient at night and can reduce visual acuity in eyes with cataract, increases
however the depth of focus due to the stenopeic effect. Miotics can therefore be useful in eyes
with artificial intraocular lenses after cataract surgery. Miotics do not have major systemic side
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14 Glaucoma
effects. Prostaglandin analogues, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors and miotics reduce IOP during
both day and night, while β-adrenergic blockers and α-adrenergic agonists are effective mostly
during daytime. Most drug groups can be combined with each other.
A new class of topically applied drugs are rho-kinase inhibitors which have finished a
phase 3 trial and are expected to be approved in 2016. 122 – 124 They reduce IOP by increasing the
trans-trabecular outflow, and potentially by additionally decreasing the production of aqueous
humour.
To decrease the systemic side effects of topically applied eye drops, it is recommended
to use gentle occlusion of the lower lacrimal duct or just to close the eyes for a few minutes.
These measures markedly reduce the amount of drug passing through the lacrimal drainage
system onto the mucosa of the oropharynx where the drugs are easily absorbed and, by avoiding
breakdown by the hepatic system, can lead to systemic side-effects. Non-ophthalmic doctors
should take into account the possibility of systemic side effects of topically applied ophthalmic
drugs, in particular of topical β-blockers, and may encourage the patients to take the drugs and
increase their adherence.
In eyes with an open anterior chamber angle, medical therapy may be augmented by, or
in some cases replaced by, laser therapy (laser trabeculoplasty) to the trabecular meshwork, in
particular if the target IOP is not achieved by medical therapy. It holds true in particular in poorly
compliant patients. Independently of a concurrent medical therapy, this laser intervention can
reduce the IOP by few additional mmHg. The excellent safety profile of the laser therapy is
combined with a relatively low efficacy. If the IOP lowering effect is not sufficient, incisional
glaucoma surgery has to be performed, usually under local or occasionally under topical
anesthesia. In patients with poor compliance or those intolerant to medical therapy, incisional
surgery can also be performed as the first step in the glaucoma therapy. A whole panoply of
surgical anti-glaucomatous procedures has been developed in the last decade. Creating an
additional outflow pathway for the aqueous humour out of the eye, all these surgical techniques
such as trabeculectomy risk reduced long-term success secondary to fibrosis around the exit
point of the fistula. During and after surgery, anti-metabolites are applied to the surgical site to
decrease the fibrotic response and to keep the fistula site open. Glaucoma implant drainage
devices are another surgical option and act by channeling the aqueous humour through a tube
out of the eye into the subconjunctival space. These devices are similarly effective in lowering
IOP to trabeculectomy.125 More recently, so-called minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries (MIGS)
show, as compared with standard trabeculectomy, a combination of fewer side effects but lower
efficacy. 126 In general, these minimally invasive glaucoma surgeries have not the same IOP–
lowering efficacy and a lower risk profile as compared with trabeculectomy. In a similar manner,
trabeculectomy as compared with non-penetrating surgeries (deep sclerectomy,
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15 Glaucoma
viscocanalostomy, and canaloplasty) was more effective in reducing the IOP and carried a higher
risk of complications.126,127
Primary angle-closure glaucoma
The therapy of acute angle closure differs profoundly from the therapeutic regime in open-angle
glaucoma. In acute angle closure, acutely elevated IOP is classically first lowered by medication,
including miotics as first-line drugs (repeatedly instilled in short intervals) and other drugs used in
chronic open-angle glaucoma. The aim is open up the angle by inducing a miosis and pulling the
peripheral iris tissue out of the angle. An alternative may be immediate laser iridoplasty.128 As
definitive treatment, laser peripheral iridotomy, which creates a pathway for aqueous flow
between the posterior chamber and anterior chamber by creating a small hole in the peripheral
iris is mandatory for all patients with angle-closure. It reduces the pressure differences between
both chambers, so that the peripheral iris can flatten and can be retracted out of the anterior
chamber angle. If performed at an early stage, a single procedure can result in lifelong cure. If
the procedure is delayed, peripheral anterior synechiae may form, and if not released by a
surgical intervention within few days to weeks, further circumferential adhesions occur resulting in
an irreversible block of the anterior chamber angle and the outflow system. In some cases in
which mechanisms other than pupillary block are present (plateau iris syndrome, phacomorphic
angle-closure), continued appositional closure of the angle is common. In these cases, laser
peripheral iridoplasty can succeed in opening the angle. It does not break peripheral anterior
synechiae, which may progress if appositional closure is not relieved.129 Non-pupillary block
mechanisms, such as plateau iris, may cause a considerable proportion of angle closure in East
Asians, an ethnic group which has a higher propensity for angle-closure glaucoma.
Post-iridotomy procedures to further lower IOP are similar to those performed for the
therapy of open-angle glaucoma. Since the risk of acute angle closure is usually similar between
both eyes, laser peripheral iridotomy should be performed prophylactically in the contralateral eye
of a patient presenting with unilateral angle closure. There is currently increased interest in clear
corneal cataract extraction for primary angle-closure, particularly in areas of East Asia where
adequate diagnostic gonioscopy and laser treatment are not readily available. 130 If laser
periphery iridotomy fails to normalize the IOP, in particular due to persisting peripheral anterior
synechiae between iris and cornea, combined cataract surgery and goniosynechialysis, a
procedure to free the angle of peripheral anterior synechiae and expose the trabecular meshwork
to aqueous humour in the anterior chamber, can be successful if the peripheral anterior
synechiae are less than about 1 year old.131 If the IOP is not sufficiently lowered, topical anti-
glaucomatous medication can be applied and incisional anti-glaucoma surgery, including
trabeculectomy or lens extraction with implantation of glaucoma drainage implants, can be carried
out.
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16 Glaucoma
Congenital glaucoma
Therapy of congenital glaucomas is primarily surgical by procedures such as goniotomy or
trabeculotomy, in which the inner wall of Schlemm´s canal is opened into the anterior chamber.
Future developments: - The observed increase in the prevalence of cataract surgery and the increase in the prevalence
of axial myopia in particular in Asia may decrease the occurrence of angle-closure glaucoma in
the future.132 Studies that investigate the benefits of iridotomy in East Asian patients with angle
closure will hopefully provide guidance on the efficacy of this treatment in these populations
where angle closure is relatively prevalent among adults.133
- As discussed above, topically applied r ho-kinase inhibitors may become an additional pillar in
the medical therapy of glaucoma. 122 – 124 Novel sustained-release delivery systems such as
intracameral injection of slow-release IOP-lowering drug pellets or topically applied cyclodextrins
are being tested in trials. 134 Such systems may reduce the problems associated with poor
adherence and ocular surface damage that may occur with long-term use of topically applied eye
drops.
- Improved understanding of patient-reported experience and outcomes is of great importance
with this disease that is a cause of great anxiety and which consumes enormous resources within
health economies.135
- Better awareness of the disease among the public and healthcare professionals will hopefully
address the large proportion of glaucoma that remains undetected even in high-income
countries.106 Encouragement of adults with a family history of glaucoma to seek an
ophthalmological examination is an important first step in this regard.
- Future research will further refine the morphological diagnosis, in particular the measurement of
the thickness of the retinal nerve fiber layer and the width of the neuroretinal rim to further
improve precision in detecting progression of glaucomatous optic nerve damage. This can be
facilitated by combining structural with functional measurements based on perimetry. Early
recognition of deterioration of the disease can then prompt changes in treatment or efforts to
improve compliance. 111–116
- Since the optic nerve is a fascicle of the brain and thus part of the central nervous system, it is
surrounded by the optic nerve meninges and it is imbedded into cerebrospinal fluid. The orbital
cerebrospinal fluid pressure is thus the retro-ocular counter-pressure to the IOP. 18 Future studies
may assess the hypothesis that in patients with POAG and normal IOP values, the orbital
cerebrospinal fluid could be abnormally low, so that the trans-lamina cribrosa pressure difference
was elevated. 71,72
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- Future research into the pathogenesis of POAG include exploration of the secondary
involvement of the retinal microglial cells in the process of RGC damage; 136 elucidation of
secondary intracranial changes including cerebral neuroplasticity; 42 examination of the role of
retinal vein pulsations and retinal venous blood pressure in the pathogenesis and diagnosis of
glaucomatous optic neuropathy; 137 assessment of the etiology of parapapillary beta zone; 138
investigations of the reasons for the increased glaucoma susceptibility in high myopia; 57,112
examination of the biomechanics of the optic nerve dura mater and its influence on the optic
nerve head.61,139
- Exfoliation syndrome is a protean disorder and is potentially preventable or reversible. New
research into the genetics, proteomics, molecular biology and cellular processes of this disease
have led to more insight into the cell biology of this disorder may further open novel approaches
to therapy.140
- Possible novel future therapies include induction of a re-sprouting of RGC dendrites to increase
the receptive field of the still existing ganglion cells;141 development of devices (including those
intraocularly implanted) to deliver long-term slow-release of anti-glaucoma medications;14^2 to
develop refinements of the existing surgical technique to reduce the risk of a postoperative
scarification of the filtering bleb leading to a treatment failure; and to further assess the
application of stem cells and gene therapy.
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18 Glaucoma
Search strategy and selection criteria:
We systematically searched the Cochrane Library (2000-2016), MEDLINE (2000-2016), and
EMBASE (2000-2016) and used the search words of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma,
secondary open-angle glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma, intraocular pressure, optical
coherence tomography, perimetry, optic disc, optic nerve head, retinal nerve fiber layer,
trabecular meshwork, glaucoma therapy, and glaucoma surgery. We largely selected
publications in the past 5 years, but did not exclude commonly referenced and highly regarded
older publications. We also searched the reference lists of articles identified by this search
strategy and selected those we judged relevant. Review articles and book chapters are cited to
provide readers with more details and more references than this Seminar has room for. Our
reference list was modified on the basis of comments from peer reviewers.”
Competing interest statement- Jost B. Jonas: Consultant for Mundipharma Co. (Cambridge, UK); patent holder with
Biocompatibles UK Ltd. (Franham, Surrey, UK) (Title: Treatment of eye diseases using
encapsulated cells encoding and secreting neuroprotective factor and / or anti-angiogenic factor;
Patent number: 20120263794), and patent application with University of Heidelberg (Heidelberg,
Germany) (Title: Agents for use in the therapeutic or prophylactic treatment of myopia or
hyperopia; Europäische Patentanmeldung 15 000 771.4).
- Tin Aung: Alcon: Consultant, Lecture fees/travel, research support; Allergan: Consultant,
Lecture fees/travel, research support; Belkin Lasers: Consultant; Carl Zeiss Meditec: Consultant,
Lecture fees, research support; Ellex: research support; Ocular Therapeutics: Research support;
Pfizer: Consultant, Lecture fees/travel; Roche: Consultant, Lecture fees/travel, research support;
Quark: Consultant, research support; Santen, Inc.: Consultant, Lecture fees/travel, research
support; Tomey: Lecture fees/travel, research support.
- Rupert Bourne: Consultant, Lecture fees/travel, research support: Allergan; Consultant, Lecture
fees/travel: Santen; Consultant, Lecture fees/travel, Research support: Tomey.
- Alain M. Bron: Consultant for Allergan (Irvine, CA, USA), Bausch-Lomb (Montpellier, France),
Théa (Clermont-Ferrand, France). Research grants from Théa and Horus (Nice, France).
- Robert Ritch: Personal fees from Sensimed AG (Lausanne, Switzerland), personal fees from
iSonic Medical, Inc. (Paris, France), personal fees from Aeon Astron Europe B.V. (Leiden
Netherlands), other from Diopsys, Inc. (Pine Brook, NJ, USA), other from GLIA, LLC (Centreville,
MD, USA), other from Guardion Health Sciences (San Diego, CA, USA), other from Mobius
Therapeutics (St. Louis, MO, USA), other from Intelon Optics, Inc. (Fresh Pond, PI, USA),
personal fees f\rom Santen Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. (Osaka, Japan), personal fees from Ocular
Instruments, Inc. (Bellevue, WA, USA), other from Xoma (US) LLC (Berkely, CA, USA), other
from The International Eye Wellness Institute, Inc. (Hudson, Ohio, USA), personal fees from
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19 Glaucoma
Gerson Lehrman Group (New York, NY, USA), personal fees from Gillis Zago Professional
Corporation (Brampton, ON, Canada), personal fees from Donahey Defossez & Beausay,
personal fees from Tanoury, Nauts, McKinney & Garbarino, PLLC (Columbus, Ohio, USA),
outside the submitted work. In addition, Dr. Ritch has a patent GLAUCOVITE with royalties paid
to The International Eye Wellness Institute, Inc. (Hudson, Ohio, USA).
- Songhomitra Panda-Jonas: Patent holder with Biocompatible UK Ltd. (Title: Treatment of eye
diseases using encapsulated cells encoding and secreting neuroprotective factor and / or anti-
angiogenic factor; Patent number: 20120263794), and patent application with university of
Heidelberg (Title: Agents for use in the therapeutic or prophylactic treatment of myopia or
hyperopia; Europäische Patentanmeldung 15 000 771.4).
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20 Glaucoma
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Figures
Fig. 1
Histo-photograph showing the ciliary body (“1”) in the posterior chamber as site of the production
of aqueous humour; “2”: Gap between the iris (“3”) and the lens (“4”) as connecting path for the
aqueous humour to percolate from the posterior chamber into the anterior chamber through the
pupil (“5”). The anterior chamber angle is located between the peripheral cornea (“6”) and the
peripheral iris and contains the trabecular meshwork (“7”) and Schlemm´s canal (“8”) as outflow
system for the aqueous humour (in addition to the uveoscleral outflow).
992
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1002
1003
1004
31 Glaucoma
Fig. 2
Gonioscopic view on the open anterior chamber angle in an eye with pigment dispersion
syndrome, showing the hyperpigmented Schwalbe´s line (Sampaolesi´s line as the end of
Descemet´s membrane) (black arrows), the hyperpigmented trabecular meshwork (red arrows)
and the scleral spur (blue arrows) as the posterior end of the anterior chamber angle; while arrow:
peripheral iris; green arrow: pupillary margin
1005
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32 Glaucoma
Fig. 3
Ophthalmoscopic photograph of a small optic disc without cupping (left image) and of primary
macrodisc (right image) with a pseudo-glaucomatous but physiologic macrocup; Note: the
neuroretinal rim has its physiologic shape with the widest part in the inferior disc region (“I”),
followed by the superior disc region (“S”), the nasal disc area (“N”), and finally the temporal disc
region (“T”) (so called ISNT-rule)
10141015
1016
1017101810191020
1021
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33 Glaucoma
1023
1024
34 Glaucoma
Fig. 4
Series of optic discs from a normal finding (Fig. 4a) to early glaucoma (Fig. 4b), and eventually
end-stage of glaucoma (Fig. 4f)
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35 Glaucoma
Fig. 5a, b
Fig. 5a: Ophthalmoscopic photograph of the retinal nerve fiber layer of a normal left eye, with the
best visibility (and thickest part) retinal nerve fiber layer in the temporal inferior region, followed by
the temporal superior region, the nasal superior region, and finally the nasal inferior region. Fig.
5b: Ophthalmoscopic photograph of the retinal nerve fiber layer of a glaucomatous eye with
localized defect (between white arrows) and a diffusely decreased visibility (and thickness) of the
retinal nerve fiber layer
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36 Glaucoma
Fig. 5b1047
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37 Glaucoma
Fig. 6
Histo-photograph showing a normal optic nerve head with the lamina cribrosa (between green
stars) as the bottom of the optic cup (“A”) and the neuroretinal rim (“B”) containing the retinal
ganglion cell axons; “C” orbital cerebrospinal fluid space between the pia mater of the optic nerve
(“D”) and the dura mater of the optic nerve (“E”)
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38 Glaucoma
Fig. 7
Slit lamp assisted biomicroscopy of the lens surface of an eye with exfoliation syndrome and with
the pupil medically dilated, showing the dandruff material in the central region of the lens surface
(white arrows) and in the peripheral region (red arrows), leaving free an intermediary zone
corresponding to the rubbing of the posterior pupillary margin on the lens surface
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