Acute Closed Angle Glaucoma: Pathogenesis and Clinical Findings OPHTHALMIC EMERGENCY: Early detection is essential, but most patients who present with early glaucoma are asymptomatic. • The disease must be ruled out in patients who present with a red eye and are acutely ill • Colored halos around bright lights are a key symptom of prodromal episodes Epidemiology • Significant cause of blindness in North America and the most frequent cause of blindness among African Americans • Incidence increases in patients of advancing age and in patients with a family history • Occurs in small eyes (often hypermetropic), which thus have shallow anterior chambers Anatomic abnormalities (i.e thinner ciliary bodies, shallow ACD, small axial length) -> crowding of ocular structures -> Increased resistance to the flow of aqueous humour from the posterior to anterior chamber -> Increased pressure gradient bows iris forward -> Iridocorneal angle closure -> Prolonged Increased IOP leads to optic nerve damage & blindness Signs / Symptoms / Complications: • Consolidation of obstruction • Corneal edema & clouding • Visual field defects (scotomas of various shapes, generally with central sparring) • Loss of vision • Photophobia #Acute #ClosedAngle #Glaucoma #pathophysiology #ophthalmology
