Glaucoma is an autoimmune disease

Glaucoma is one of the most serious diseases that affects millions of people around the world, but the pathogenesis of this disease is not completely clear. Once the only mechanism for the development of this disease was considered to be an increase in IOP. Current research indicates that the pathogenesis of glaucoma depends on several interacting mechanisms, which include: mechanical damage due to increased IOP, hypoxia, excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and the involvement of autoimmune processes. Antibody changes in glaucoma patients have been described, but it is still unclear whether the autoantibodies observed in glaucoma are epiphenomenal or cause of the disease. Key words: glaucoma, glaucoma pathogenesis, autoimmunity, autoimmune glaucoma.

Neuroprotective therapy for glaucoma (literature review)

This literature review presents data on neuroprotection in glaucoma. In neuroprotective therapy, it is desirable to use a comprehensive treatment that includes drugs of various pharmacological groups acting on different pathogenetic links of glaucoma optical neuropathy. One of the most promising areas of neuroprotection is the simultaneous combined effect of various physical factors (with mutual potency of their therapeutic action) and drug therapy, which increases the neuroprotective effect. However, treatment should be performed against the background of absolutely normalized intraocular pressure. Key words: glaucoma, glaucoma optical neuropathy, neuroprotection, drug therapy, normalized intraocular pressure.

Microperimetry in the diagnosis of early stages glaucoma

Purpose. To increase the efficiency of diagnostics of glaucomatous process in the early stages using microperimetry. Materials and methods. We examined 15 patients (30 eyes) aged 43-71 years (average age 62 years) with the initial stage of POAG, the duration of the disease was 8-36 months. The control group consisted of 10 patients (20 eyes), somatically healthy individuals without concomitant ophthalmopathology. In addition to standard research methods, the following were additionally carried out: optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the optic nerve disk, macular OCT for analyzing the thickness of the ganglion cell complex, angio-OCT of the optic disc and macula, and microperimetry. Results. When conducting microperimetric studies, a decrease in the average threshold photosensitivity AvThr (20 (4.8-23.3)) and the index of macular preservation MI (23 (2.8-26.8)) in patients with POAG was found in comparison with the control group. During OCT of the optic disc and macula, no changes were recorded in both groups, and there was no decrease in peripapillary perfusion during angio-OCT of the optic disc. However, in patients with POAG, during angio-OCT in the macular area, attention is drawn to some of its expansion and deformation, which confirms the fact that the macular area is involved in the glaucomatous process, which affects the photosensitivity of the cells of the central retinal area. Conclusion. Thus, the decrease in the average threshold of sensitivity in patients with POAG revealed by microperimetry makes it possible to detect glaucoma in the early stages, as well as to assess the dynamics of the glaucomatous process, which in its turn increases the effectiveness of treatment of patients. Key words: glaucoma, glaucomatous process progression, computer perimetry, microperimetry, optic nerve atrophy.

Modern methods for assessing morphometric and functional indicators in primary glaucoma

In the article are presented analytical review of scientific articles devoted to the study of modern methods of diagnostics of primary glaucoma. On the basis of scientific articles, a review material was collected and systematized on diagnostic methods for studying morphometric and functional changes in primary glaucoma, which are used in modern ophthalmic practice. In recent years, the improvement and implementation of new high-tech modern diagnostic methods open up new opportunities for researchers and clinicians. Optical coherence tomography, OCT angiography, static perimetry make it possible, by comparing morphometric and functional parameters, to give a more complete, comprehensive assessment of pathological changes in the optic nerve head, in the macular region and at the level of the choriocapillaries. Prevention of glaucoma blindness largely depends on its early diagnosis based on the use of modern organizational and medical technologies. Key words: glaucoma, open-angle glaucoma, intraocular pressure, glaucomatous optic neuropathy, diagnostic methods.