Glaucoma Flashcards
What is Glaucoma?
Diverse group of diseases which all have an IOP too high for the optic nerve to function properly resulting in the loss of some or all vision
How is Intraocular Pressure maintained?
- Generated by aqueous humor production and outflow in balance
Why is IOP elevated in glaucoma
Decreased outflow! - not overproduction
How is Glaucoma diagnosed?
- Signalment, history, clinical signs
- Menace responses, cotton ball tracking, and maze testing to assess vision
- PLRs and dazzle reflexes to assess visual pathway
- Ophthalmoscopy
- Tonometry (normal 15-25 mmHg)
- Gonioscopy (referral procedure)
What breeds are commonly affected by Primary glacoma?
- American Cocker Spaniel
- Basset Hound
- Chow Chow
- Shar-Pei
- Boston Terrier
- Fox Terrier, Wire Terrier
- Norwegian Elkhound
- Siberian Husky
What are the clinical signs of glaucoma?
- Red eye (episcleral injection)
- Corneal edema
- Mydriasis
- Lens subluxation/luxation
- Painful (blepharospasm)
- Buphthalmia (enlargement of eyeball)
- Retinal and Optiv Nerve changes
- Decreased vision
How is Glaucoma diagnosed?
- Tonometry:
- Ideally both eyes should have roughly the same IOP
- >5mmHg (or >20%) difference should make you wonder why
- Ideally both eyes should have roughly the same IOP
- Gonioscopy
- special lens to visualize the iridocorneal angle
What things can affect IOP for Glaucoma diagnostics?
- Normal Diurnal variation (highest in morning)
- 2-4 mmHg change in normal dog
- Sedative, tranquilizers, and anesthetic drugs can lower IOP
- ketamine may increase IOP
- Patient cooperation
- minimize pressure applied on eyelids and neck
What is Primary Glaucoma?
- Breed related
- Always bilateral
- “good” eye will be lost in median for 8mo
- With prophylactic therapy - median time to onset of glaucoma is 31mo
What are causes of Secondary Glaucoma?
- Anterior lens luxation
- Anterior uveitis
- Neoplasia
- Hyphema
What determines if Glaucoma is Acute or Chronic?
- Acute - less than 24 hrs old
- Chronic - >24hrs old
- Buphthalmia (Big, Blue = Blind)
What are the goals of Glaucoma Therapy
- Save or regain, and maintain vision
- Achieve and maintain comfort
- Control Intraocular Pressure
- target “safe” level
- avoid progressive optic nerve and retinal damage w/ associated visual deficits
What is the Treatment for Acute Glaucoma?
- Emergency treatment:
- Topical prostaglandin analogues
- latanoprost 0.005%
- Travaprost 0.004%
- Topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors
- Dorzolamide 2%
- Brinzolamide 1%
- Beta blocker
- Timolol 0.5 & 0.25%
- Betaxolol 0.5%
- Hyperosmotic agents
- Dehydrate vitreous
- Lasts ~6-10hrs
- IV mannitol 1-2 g/kg
- slowly over 20-30min
- Glycerin 1-2 g/kg PO
- may produce emesis
- Withhold water for 4 hrs
- Topical prostaglandin analogues
- Maintenance therapy:
- Latanoprost 0.005% SID to BID
- Dorzolamide 2% TID to QID
- Timolol 0.5% BID
- Treatment of “normal” eye
- Timolol 0.5% BID
- Frequent IOP checks of both eyes
What are the counterindications for hyperosmotic agents as treatment for acute glaucoma
- Renal disease
- Cardiovascular disease
- Dehydration
- Diabetes (glycerin)
- Other debilitating disease
What are signs of Chronic Glaucoma?
- Irreversibly blind (duration >72hrs)
- Buphthalmic
- except puppies
- Absent dazzle reflex
- Absent consensual PLR to fellow eye