The thin coats of the eye are not sufficiently rigid in themselves to withstand distortion following the pull of the extraocular muscles when the eye is rotated. The eyeball is kept rigid by the action of the ciliary body, which secretes sufficient amounts of aqueous humour fluid to maintain the pressure of the eye at a level above atmospheric pressure. Aqueous humour is constantly being formed and drains away at the base of the iris through specialized drainage channels. Should these channels become blocked, the pressure within the eye rises to abnormally high levels. If the intraocular pressure remains raised for a long period of time, some retinal nerve fibres will atrophy, causing loss of visual function.

Glaucoma is the name given to a group of diseases that cause a particular type of optic neuropathy (i.e., optic nerve disease or abnormality) that results in visual field loss. Increased pressure within the eye is one of several important risk factors for development of glaucoma, but no one particular pressure is indicative of the disease. The susceptibility of an individual’s optic nerve, and of the retinal cells whose fibres make up the optic nerve (called ganglion cells), to damage at a particular eye pressure varies widely. Typically, a “normal” eye pressure range is between 10 and 21 mm (0.4 and 0.82 inch) of mercury, but glaucoma can arise in people with pressure below 21 mm (normal-tension glaucoma, or low-tension glaucoma). In addition, people with pressures above 21 mm (ocular hypertension) may never show signs or symptoms of glaucoma. A person’s eye pressure is determined by the rate of aqueous humour formation by the ciliary body and the resistance to outflow through various pathways. Two major classes of glaucoma are primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and angle closure glaucoma.

Primary open angle glaucoma is a common disease and a leading cause of vision loss in older individuals. Although the actual cause is not known, it may be due to degenerative changes in the outflow channels for aqueous fluid. It is rare below age 40, but after this its incidence increases. Genetic influences are important, and relatives of patients with glaucoma are more likely than others to develop the disease, as are individuals of African descent, who also tend to be affected more severely.

The symptoms of POAG are slight or absent in the early stages. The slow progressive optic nerve damage does not cause pain, and the early visual loss is in the peripheral parts of the visual field, affecting central vision only late in the disease. Both eyes are usually involved, although one may be more severely affected than the other. Since vision loss from glaucoma cannot be restored, successful treatment can only prevent further loss of vision. It is of great importance, therefore, that the disease be diagnosed as early as possible. Measurement of the intraocular pressure is of great value in the diagnosis of glaucoma. This is a simple test that can be applied as a screening method for surveys of the normal population.

The medical treatment of POAG currently consists of the use of eyedrops that lower the intraocular pressure. Inhibitors of the enzyme carbonic anhydrase, when taken by mouth, reduce the formation of aqueous humour and are used as an additional measure when necessary. If the pressure remains raised in spite of all medical treatment, then surgical methods or laser treatments must be used to increase the drainage of fluid from the eye. Treatments aimed at other potential mechanisms involved in glaucoma are under investigation.

Another common type of glaucoma is called angle closure glaucoma. It can be caused by mechanisms that either push the iris forward from behind or pull it forward to block the outflow of aqueous humour through the trabecular meshwork. The trabecular meshwork is located in the anterior chamber angle formed at the insertion (far periphery) of the iris. The aqueous fluid formed in the ciliary body behind the iris flows forward through the pupil to the angle of the anterior chamber. In one form of angle closure glaucoma, called pupillary block glaucoma, the lens seals against the iris and blocks the flow of aqueous humour through the pupil. The root of the iris (which is rather thin) is then pushed forward because of increased posterior pressure, which closes the angle and prevents outflow of aqueous humour. The angle may eventually become completely closed, causing intraocular pressure to rise rapidly. The eye then becomes red, hard, and painful, and vision deteriorates. The pain may be so severe as to cause vomiting. Urgent treatment is required to lower the pressure and prevent damage to the optic nerve that could lead to permanent vision loss.

In some cases an acute attack such as this heralds the onset of glaucoma; however, most people experience minor subacute attacks that are relieved by rest and sleep and usually occur for months or years. Modern methods of medical and surgical treatment are usually effective in lowering the pressure in an acute attack and preventing recurrences. Other causes of glaucoma include chronic inflammatory disease of the eye, tumours within the eye, and congenital afflictions of the eye. Congenital glaucoma usually is found in the neonatal or infantile period and is heralded by tearing, aversion to light, eyelid spasms, and clouding and enlargement of the cornea. Treatment is aimed at medically or surgically reducing intraocular pressure, but long-term visual prognosis is often poor.