Glaucoma is a disease of the optic nerve, which
transmits the images you see from the eye to the brain. The optic
nerve is made up of many nerve fibers (like an electric cable
with its numerous wires). Glaucoma damages these nerve fibers,
which can cause blind spots and vision loss. When the condition
is present at birth or develops at a very young age, it is called
congenital glaucoma.
Glaucoma develops when the pressure inside the eye, or intraocular
pressure (IOP), is elevated. When the aqueous humor (the clear
liquid that normally flows in and out of the eye) cannot drain
properly, pressure builds up in the eye. The resulting increase
in IOP can damage the optic nerve.
Congenital glaucoma can be inherited and is also associated with
a number of conditions and diseases, including neurofibromatosis,
congenital rubella, Lowe’s syndrome, Sturge-Weber syndrome,
homocystinuria, Marfan’s syndrome, Weill-Marchesani syndrome,
Axenfeld- Rieger syndrome, Peter’s anomaly, aniridia, persistent
hyperplastic primary vitreous (PHPV), nanophthalmos (small eye),
and microcornea (small cornea).
Symptoms of congenital glaucoma include an enlarged eye, cloudy
cornea, photophobia, tearing, and lid spasms. It may be necessary
for the ophthalmologist (Eye M.D.) to perform an exam under anesthesia
to accurately examine the eyes and measure the intraocular pressure.
If glaucoma is diagnosed, there are a number of surgical procedures
that the ophthalmologist may recommend to help reduce IOP and
prevent damage to the child’s vision.
Cloudy Corneas from Elevated Intraocular
Pressure
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