16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the prevalence and/or incidence of Congenital glaucoma.
Chronic open-angle glaucoma results from overproduction of aqueous humor or obstruction to its outflow through the trabecular meshwork or the canal of Schlemm. (See Normal flow of aqueous humor, page 1184.) This form of glaucoma, which is estimated to be present in 1% to 2% of people older than age 40, is frequently familial in origin and affects 90% of all patients with glaucoma. Diabetes and systemic hypertension have also been associated with this form of glaucoma.
Acute angle-closure (narrow-angle) glaucoma results from obstruction to the outflow of aqueous humor due to anatomically narrow angles between the anterior iris and the posterior corneal surface, shallow anterior chambers, a thickened iris that causes angle closure on pupil dilation, or a bulging iris that presses on the trabeculae, closing the angle (peripheral anterior synechiae).
Blacks are four times more likely to have this disorder than whites, and people with a family history of open-angle glaucoma are twice as likely to develop it than people without a family history of this disorder. The use of systemic anticholinergic medications, such as atropine or eye dilation drops, in a person who’s already at high-risk for acute glaucoma increases the risk. Other risk factors include farsightedness and age-related changes that create an increase in intraocular pressure.
Congenital glaucoma occurs when there is an abnormal fluid drainage angle of the eye. It may be caused by congenital infections such as TORCH virus (toxoplasmosis, other [varicella, mumps, parvovirus, human immunodeficiency virus], rubella, cytomegalovirus, and herpes), Sturge-Weber syndrome, or retinopathy of prematurity.
Secondary glaucoma can result from uveitis, trauma, or drugs (such as steroids). Neovascularization in the angle can result from vein occlusion or diabetes.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
The term 'prevalence' of Congenital glaucoma usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Congenital glaucoma at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Congenital glaucoma refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Congenital glaucoma diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
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