Glaucoma can be defined as an increase in intraocular pressure, which is due to a change in the drainage of aqueous humor (liquid that circulates in the anterior chamber of the eye) and can be classified according to its cause as primary (congenital) or secondary to other ophthalmological problems.
Diagnosis is obtained by measuring intraocular pressure using a device called a tonometer. There is a complementary ophthalmological exam, called gonioscopy, which allows determining a pet’s predisposition to develop primary glaucoma in the future.
Medical treatment aims to preserve vision and control pain associated with increased intraocular pressure, through eye drops that reduce the production of aqueous humor and/or increase its drainage. When medical treatment alone is not successful, surgery should be considered. The most frequently used surgical options for the treatment of glaucoma include the application of gonioimplants, which allow a better drainage of aqueous humor, and endolaser (a technique we pioneered in Portugal), to destroy the ciliary body.
Glaucoma can be defined as an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) above 25 mmHg, which is due to a change in the drainage of aqueous humor, which circulates in the anterior chamber. This can be classified based on its possible causes (primary or secondary), gonioscopic appearance of the filtration angle (open, narrow, or closed) and the duration or stage of the disease (acute or chronic). Unlike secondary glaucoma, which results from elevated IOP secondary to other concomitant intraocular diseases, primary glaucoma is acquired congenitally. It is characterized by goniodysgenesis, or dysplasia of the pectineal ligaments, which are found in the iridocorneal angle.
Diagnosis of glaucoma is obtained by measuring IOP using tonometry. As for its primary or secondary etiology, this can be differentiated by performing gonioscopy and ophthalmoscopy. Additionally, gonioscopy makes it possible to determine a pet’s predisposition to develop primary glaucoma in the future.
The main goals of treatment of glaucoma are preserving vision, control IOP and preventing serious damages to the optic nerve and retina. Unfortunately, most animals present the condition at an advanced stage at the time of diagnosis, and the therapeutic goal may simply be reducing ocular discomfort and pain, and prevent the development of the disease in the contralateral eye, if it is a case of primary glaucoma.
In less advanced stages and that are refractory to medical treatment, surgery should be considered. Surgical procedures for treating primary glaucoma are divided into two groups: those that aim to increase the drainage of aqueous humor, such as the implantation of gonioimplants, and those that reduce the rate of aqueous humor formation, by destroying part of the ciliary body, such as the endolaser (technique in which we are pioneers in Portugal).
Given that the prognosis is related to the stage of the disease, and that there is a risk of permanent blindness, suspected cases should be referred to an Ophthalmologist as soon as possible.