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Diseases » Congenital glaucoma » Diagnosis

Diagnosis of Congenital glaucoma

Congenital glaucoma Diagnosis: Book Excerpts

Diagnostic Tests for Congenital glaucoma: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about diagnostis of Congenital glaucoma.

Glaucoma: Diagnosis
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

CONFIRMING DIAGNOSIS Loss of peripheral vision and disk changes confirm that glaucoma is present. Diagnosis is made by:

❑ testing IOP

❑ measuring the visual field and noting changes, such as an enlarged blind spot and loss of peripheral vision field

❑ observing changes in the cup/disk ratio of the optic nerve head.

Relevant diagnostic tests include:

❑ Tonometry (using an applanation tonopen or air puff tonometer) — This test measures the IOP and provides a baseline for reference. Normal IOP ranges from 8 to 21 mm Hg. However, patients who fall within this normal range can develop signs and symptoms of glaucoma, and patients who have abnormally high pressure may have no clinical effects. Fingertip tension is another way to measure IOP. On gentle palpation of closed eyelids, one eye feels harder than the other in acute angle-closure glaucoma.

❑ Slit-lamp examination — The slit lamp facilitates examination of the anterior structures of the eye: the cornea, iris, and lens.

❑ Gonioscopy — By determining the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye, this test enables differentiation between chronic open-angle glaucoma and acute angle-closure glaucoma. The angle is normal in chronic open-angle glaucoma. However, in older patients, partial closure of the angle may occur, so that two forms of glaucoma may co-exist.

❑ Ophthalmoscopy — This test enables the examiner to look at the fundus to establish if there are any cup/disk ratio changes. (See Optic disk changes.) These changes appear later in chronic glaucoma if the disease isn’t brought under control.

❑ Fundus photography — Pictures of the optic nerve head are made to track changes.

❑ Perimetry or visual field tests — These reveal the extent of damage to the optic neurons, signaled by an enlarged blind spot and loss of peripheral vision.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Glaucoma: Diagnosis
(Handbook of Diseases)

Loss of peripheral visual field, cupping of the optical disk, and increased IOP are the triad of signs that indicate glaucoma. Relevant diagnostic tests include the following:

❑ Tonometry (using an applanation, Schiøtz, or air-puff tonometer) measures IOP and provides a baseline for reference.

Normal IOP ranges between 8 and 21 mm Hg, but some patients who fall in the normal range develop signs and symptoms of glaucoma. On the other hand, some patients who have abnormally high pressure have no clinical effects.

Fingertip tension is another way to measure IOP. On gentle palpation of closed eyelids, one eye feels harder than the other in acute angle-closure glaucoma.

❑ Slit-lamp examination provides a look at the anterior structures of the eye, including the cornea, iris, and lens.

❑ Gonioscopy, by determining the angle of the anterior chamber of the eye, allows differentiation between chronic open-angle glaucoma and acute angle-closure glaucoma. The angle is normal in chronic open-angle glaucoma. In older patients, partial closure of the angle may also occur, so two forms of glaucoma may coexist.

❑ Ophthalmoscopy provides a look at the fundus, where cupping of the optic disk is visible in chronic open-angle glaucoma. This change appears later in chronic angle-closure glaucoma if the disease isn’t brought under control. A pale disk appears in acute angle-closure glaucoma.

❑ Perimetry or visual field tests help evaluate the extent of chronic open-angle deterioration by determining peripheral vision loss.

❑ Fundus photography can monitor the disk for any changes.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003