SCREENING FOR OPEN-ANGLE GLAUCOMA

Chronic (open-angle) glaucoma is a leading cause of new cases of blindness in the United States. This blindness is a result of increased intraocular pressure and deterioration of the optic nerve. Nearly 2 million Americans have glaucoma. ''Ocular hypertension'' is the term applied to elevation of the ocular pressure above 21 mm Hg. Glaucoma is defined as a group of diseases that have certain common features, including an intraocular pressure too high for the continued health of the eye, cupping and atrophy of the optic nerve head and visual field loss. Although long-term studies evaluating the success of medical treatment are still in progress, medical intervention remains the standard of care for both ocular hypertension and open-angle glaucoma.