glaucoma

glaucoma, disease caused by an increase in pressure within the eye as a result of blockage of the flow of aqueous humour, a watery fluid produced by the ciliary body. (The ciliary body is a ring of tissue directly behind the outer rim of the iris; besides being the source of aqueous humour, it contains the muscle that flattens the curvature of the lens for far vision.) The normal flow of the aqueous humour is (1) from the ciliary body into the posterior chamber, a narrow space bounded in front by the iris, on its outer side by the ciliary body, and in back by the lens and the vitreous body, a jelly-like substance that occupies a major part of the eyeball; (2) from the posterior chamber through the pupil into the anterior chamber, the space in front of the lens and the iris and in back of the transparent window formed by the cornea; and (3) from the anterior chamber through a sievelike layer of tissue in the lining of the eyeball at the outer periphery of the iris into a circular channel, the canal of Schlemm, from which the aqueous humour flows (by way of vessels called aqueous veins) into blood vessels. Blockage of the aqueous humour flow causes increased pressure in the posterior chamber, and this pressure is transmitted by way of the vitreous to the optic nerve head and the retina. Abnormally high intraocular pressure that is unrelieved causes vision impairment.

There are two types of blockage that result in glaucoma. (1) The blockage may occur in the porous tissue between the anterior chamber and the canal of Schlemm, in the canal itself, or in the aqueous veins. This blockage is continuous, and the effect is chronic glaucoma. (2) In persons in whom the angle at the periphery of the anterior chamber is acute—i.e., in whom the outer rim of the iris is close to the wall of the eyeball—the pressure of aqueous humour upon the back of the iris may force the outer part of the iris against the wall, so as to cover the outlet into the canal of Schlemm. Glaucoma caused by this type of obstruction is called acute or narrow-angle glaucoma. When the pupil contracts, as during sleep, it tends to pull the iris away from the entrance into the canal of Schlemm and allow passage of aqueous humour, so that the high intraocular pressure may be intermittent in this type of blockage.

Chronic glaucoma does not cause symptoms in its early stages, and it is diagnosed by observation of the abnormally high intraocular pressure or the physical effects of abnormal pressure upon the optic disk (the point where the optic nerve leaves the eyeball). Treatment is primarily medical—the reduction of intraocular pressure by means of drugs that contract the pupil (miotic drugs) and allow greater outflow of the aqueous humour.

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Narrow-angle glaucoma causes pain in the eye, headaches, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. The affected person may see halos around lights. Treatment of an acute attack is similar to that of chronic glaucoma, but permanent elimination of the high pressure requires surgery; i.e., an opening is cut through the iris at its outer periphery to allow passage of the aqueous humour.