11,12 - Glaucoma Flashcards
Glaucoma is an _______ intraocular pressure above which the ____ ____ and ____ cannot function and ocular pathology results.
increased; optic nerve; retina
Which cells are the first to be damaged in glaucoma cases?
Ganglionic cells - layer closest to the inside of the eye which is very sensitive to increased IOP
IOP in glaucoma is the result of an impediment of the flow of ____ ______.
Aqueous humor
IOP has diurnal viaration. In dogs, IOP is greatest in the _____. In cats, IOP is greatest in the ______.
What is the clinical significance in this?
Morning; evening
If you suspect glaucoma in a dog, measure IOP in the morning.
If you suspect glaucoma in a cat, measure IOP in the evening.
In respect to IOP:
Low blood flow to the eye _____ IOP.
Pulling on the animal’s collar _____ IOP.
decreases; increases
General anesthetics typically decrease IOP. What anesthetic is the exception and actually causes an increase in IOP?
Ketamine - so avoid ketamine in glaucoma patients
T/F: Ocular inflammation increases IOP.
FALSE - decreases IOP b/c inflammation increases aqueous ouflow and prostaglandins from inflammation decrease aqueous production
T/F: Glaucoma always must be addressed aggresively and immediately.
True - vision is fragile and can be lost quickly
Glaucoma is one of the most commonly _______ eye conditions in animals, due to failure of owners to recognize disease early and failure of clinicians to recognize onset in the second eye, preventing the ability to regain eyesight.
misdiagnosed
Glaucoma history: 4 questions to ask
- What signs first mad you think your dog had an eye problem? (red, bumping into things on one side)
- How long have you noticed a problem?
- Have you noticed any decrease in your pet’s activity or appetite?
- If the animal is blind, how long has the blindness been present?
If an animal with glaucoma has been blind for over ___ hours, prognosis to regain vision is poor.
24
C/S of acute glaucoma:
- Corneal edema
- Recent vision loss
- Partial vision loss
- Enlarged episcleral vessels (pressure in the eye closes off the venous return from the eye)
- Ciliary flush (hedge vessels - 360 degree neovasculization)
- Dilated pupil (due to retinal damage and pressure effects on the iris sphincter muscle)
C/S of chronic glaucoma include acute signs, plus:
- Chronic blindness
- Buphthalmos (big globe)
- Lens luxation +/- aphakic crescent
- Haab’s striae
- Posterior segment signs:
- Retinal degeneration
Cupped optic nerve head
- Retinal degeneration
Why does lens luxation in glaucoma patients?
As the eye becomes larger due to pressure elevation within the globe, the zonular attachments stretch and can break, causing the lens to luxate.
Therefore, the lens luxates as a secondary problem to glaucoma, NOT a primary problem.
Haab’s Striae is a C/S in chronic glaucoma. What is it?
Haab’s straie appear as white linear demarcations in corneal endothelium. These are microbreaks in descemet’s membrane due to the stretchin of the globe from increased IOP.
Can be incidental in horses, but common sign of chronic glaucoma in dogs and cats.
Why do we see a cupped optic nerve head as a result of chronic glaucoma?
As the pressure in the eye is elevated, the path of least resistance is through the lamina cribrosa at the level of hte optic nerve, resulting in tissue to be pushed back at this location, causing damage to the nervous tissue, leading to blindness.
T/F: Retinal degeneration and cupped optic nerve head are reversible changes in chronic glaucoma.
False - irreversable! Lead to blindness
Why do we see episcleral hyperemia in glaucoma patients?
Increased IOP compresses sclera and impedes normal venous drainage
Why do we see mydriasis in glaucoma patients?
Impaired blood flow or innervation to iris
Why do we see blephorospasms in glaucoma patients?
Pain
Why do we get blindness in glaucoma?
Retinal AND optic nerve ischemia and necrosis
In glaucoma, which gets lost first, central or peripheral vission?
Peripheral
Why do we see buphthalmia in glaucoma patients?
Stretching of the globe from chronic IOP elevations
Histopath description of retina with glaucoma:
- Inner retinal degeneration
- Ganglion cell loss
- Chronic cases have diffuse retinal degeneration
T/F: Human glaucoma is very similar to dog glaucoma.
False - dogs have more of an acute stage of glaucoma with very high increases in pressure, causing it to be more painful and increased risk of vision loss compared to humans.
Primary glaucoma occurs in the absecne of….
other ophthalmic disease
T/F: Primary glaucoma is breed related and presumably inherited.
True
Primary glaucoma is a disease at the level of the _______
Iridocorneal angle (drain part - outflow issue)
Two mechanisms of primary glaucoma that both lead to decreased aqueous fluid draining from the eye:
- Abnormal formation of the iridocroneal angle with progressive narrowing
- Biochemical changes in the trabecular meshwork
List some common breeds associated with primary glaucoma
Basset hound
Cocker spaniel
Bouviet de flanders
Husky
Beagle
Norwegian elkhound
Shih tzu
Secondary glaucoma occurs secondary to other primary intraocular disease. List three examples of primary intraocular disease that can lead to glaucoma:
Uveitis
Neoplasia
Lens luxation
How can uveitis lead to glaucoma:
Inflammatory debris can get into the iridiocorneal angle, and decrease the ouflow of aqueous humor
T/F: Congenital glaucoma is a rare, severe disease that occurs in animals less than a year of age.
True
T/F: Digital pressure is a good diagnostic for testing for glaucoma.
False - not good enough
The ideal diagnostic testing methods for glaucoma are using automated tools for measuring IOP - list the two examples:
Applanation (tonopen)
Rebound (tonovet)
How can we diagnose retinal degeneration and optic nerve cupping in glaucoma patients?
Funduscopy
What is the #1 reason to measure intraocular pressure (IOP)?
Red eye - IOP should be determined in every red eye with an intact cornea and sclera.
Contraindications for measuring IOP?
Perforated eye
If perforation potential (descemetoceles, or deep stromal or metling ulcers)
Besides red eye, what are other good reasons to test IOP?
- Genetic reasons
- Part of MOD
- Monitoring uveitis cases
- Monitoring in ophthalmic surgery cases
Shiotz tonometry reqires a ______ cornea, so it cannot be practically done in the horse.
horizontal
When obtaining an accurate measurement of IOP, it is important to hold the lid open by holding against the _____ rim and not against the eye.
Orbital