This condition develops when the pressure inside the eye becomes high. Angle-closure glaucoma is one of the types of glaucoma and is less common. When left untreated, as with all the types of glaucoma, it can cause damage to the optic nerve and as the result, it can result in blindness. This condition occurs when the drainage canals in the eyes become blocked and as the result, the intraocular pressure rises. This usually requires immediate medical attention. The classification of the angle-closure glaucoma includes acute, subacute or intermittent and chronic. In the acute form of angle-closure glaucoma, the intraocular pressure can develop suddenly as the result of sudden blockage of the angle and the chronic condition can develop after the acute angle closure.
Causes
The angle-closure glaucoma can develop as the result of problems with the structure of the eye such as the thin iris when the angle between the iris and the cornea is narrow or as the result of the thick lens inside the eyes. It can also develop as the result of an underlying condition such as a tumor, diabetes, eye injury or advanced cataract. In addition, some of the risk factors of developing angle-closure glaucoma include having a sibling or parents with the disease, individuals who are farsighted and the elderly.
Symptoms
The acute form of the angle-closure glaucoma can develop suddenly particularly when taking certain medications or under stress. The symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma can consist of blurred vision, sudden loss of vision, vomiting, rainbow colored circles around bright lights, headache and severe eye pain. Unlike the open-angle glaucoma, the symptoms are very noticeable and the damage can also develop quickly. It is important to seek medical help to prevent the loss of vision or blindness.
Diagnosis
The diagnosis is based on the examination of the eyes and the measurement of the eye pressure. Some of the initial tests that may be necessary include slit-lamp examination, automatic static perimetry and gonioscopy examination of anterior chamber angle. In addition, other tests may also be necessary such as the evaluation of the optic nerve by fundoscopy, ultrasound biomicroscopy, Heidelberg retinal tomography and retinal OCT.
Treatment
The treatment usually involves surgery to remove the bunched-up outer edge of the iris which unblocks the drainage canals for the drainage of the fluids. The acute form of angle-closure glaucoma may require dynamic gonioscopy, laser peripheral iridotomy or lens extraction surgery. The chronic angle-closure glaucoma may require surgical lysis of goniosynechiae, carbonic anhydrase inhibitors or trabeculectomy. If only one eye is affected with this condition, the doctors may recommend the treatment for the other eye as the safety precaution. Although the surgery for angle-closure glaucoma is successful, regular check-ups are necessary with the risk of its recurrence.
References
http://www.glaucoma.org/glaucoma/angle-closure-glaucoma.php
https://www.aao.org/munnerlyn-laser-surgery-center/angleclosure-glaucoma-19
https://www.glaucomafoundation.org/angle-closure_glaucoma.htm
http://www.glaucoma.org/glaucoma/symptoms-of-angle-closure-glaucoma.php
