An update on glaucoma treatment

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The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 280 No 7490 p219-222
23 February 2008

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Continuing professional development

An update on glaucoma treatment

In the UK, some form of glaucoma affects two in 100 people over the age of 40 years and five in 100 people over the age of 75 years. Lucy Titcomb gives an overview of the condition and looks at treatment of primary open angle glaucoma

Continuing professional development articles

Lucy C. Titcomb, MRPharmS, MCPP, is lead ophthalmic pharmacist, at the Birmingham and Midland Eye Centre, Birmingham

SUMMARY

Glaucoma comprises a group of eye diseases with various causes that result in optic neuropathy. The optic nerve becomes damaged, resulting in histopathological changes and loss of visual function. Glaucoma is the world’s second biggest cause of blindness.

The condition affects around 60 million people, of whom about 10 per cent become blind. In the UK, it accounts for 15 per cent of registered blind people, although this figure probably underestimates morbidity because many people who are eligible for registration do not appear in the statistics.

Classification of glaucomas is usually based on cause and mechanics (see Panel 1).

Panel 1: Classification of glaucoma

Primary glaucomas
• Open angle (eg, high tension, normal tension)
• Closed angle (ie, primary angle closure glaucoma)

Secondary glaucomas
• Open angle (eg, pigmentary, exfoliation syndrome, neovascular, lens-induced)
• Closed angle

Developmental glaucomas
(eg, primary congenital, secondary retinopathy of prematurity)

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