Thelansis

  Open-angle glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy characterized by the acquired loss of retinal ganglion cells and atrophy of the optic nerve. It constitutes over 90 percent of glaucoma cases in the United States. Elevated intraocular pressure stands as a major risk factor, though it is not a diagnostic criterion. Patients with elevated intraocular pressure have an approximately 1 percent per year risk of developing glaucomatous optic nerve damage. The pathophysiology involves a progressive reduction in the number of retinal ganglion cells, resulting from the pinching and death of nerve fibers at the point where the optic nerve exits the eye. This process leads to thinning of the neural rim and progressive enlargement of the optic nerve cup, causing a permanently decreased visual field. The only known causative risk factors for open-angle glaucoma are elevated intraocular pressure and insults to the eye, including uveitis, trauma, and steroid therapy. Although steroid thera...