Treating congenital glaucoma : a COP9 speciality
Our COP9 health center, created by Dr. Stéphanie Zwillinger, is particularly addressed to patients affected by glaucoma. Our surgeon ophthalmologist
Have you heard about juvenile glaucoma? It is a rare form of glaucoma affecting children and young adults. This pathology implies an increase of pressure inside the eye, causing progressive damage to the optic nerve, eventually impairing vision. What are the causes of juvenile glaucoma? How to recognize the symptoms? Can juvenile glaucoma be treated by surgery? Continue reading to learn more.
Juvenile glaucoma can be caused by a congenital malformation affecting the angle configuration between the iris and the cornea. It prevents the normal flow of aqueous mood, which is the liquid that circulates inside the eye.
This causes a fluid build-up and an increased intraocular pressure in the child’s eyeball. If not diagnosed and treated early, this increased pressure can cause optic nerve damage. It manifests itself in progressive vision loss, which can lead to blindness.
In the beginning, juvenile glaucoma is often asymptomatic, so an early detection is essential to prevent irreversible damage.
Symptoms may vary depending on the severity of the disease. Some patients may experience:
However, in many cases, the disease progresses silently, making it difficult to diagnose without a full ophthalmological examination.
To diagnose juvenile glaucoma, our ophthalmologist Dr. Stéphanie Zwillinger observes both of your child’s eyes during a fundus examination, by monitoring :
Early screening is essential to prevent complications and preserve vision.
Our COP9 team stresses the importance of talking to your vision specialist about the family history of juvenile glaucoma. People with family members with this eye disease have a higher risk of developing it as well, and should therefore pay particular attention to their eye health.
The primary goal of the treatment of juvenile glaucoma is to reduce intraocular pressure in order to prevent further damage to the optic nerve.
Treatment options include the use of eye medications such as eye drops, which can help increase drainage of aqueous mood or reduce its production.
Laser treatments, such as selective SLT laser trabeculoplasty or argon laser iridoplasty, can also be used to improve aqueous mood drainage.
In some cases, when medical and laser treatments are not effective enough, surgery may be required.
Surgical procedures may include the creation of new trabeculectomy drainage canals or the implantation of drainage valves to facilitate intraocular fluid flow.
Patients with this eye disease must be regularly followed by an ophthalmologist specializing in glaucoma, such as Dr. Stéphanie Zwillinger. She can then monitor the progression of the pathology and adjust the medical treatment, or offer you rehabilitation accordingly.
Le glaucome juvénile est une maladie oculaire rare mais potentiellement grave qui affecte les enfants et les jeunes adultes. Il est caractérisé par une augmentation de la pression à l’intérieur de l’œil, entraînant des dommages au nerf optique et une perte de vision progressive. L’équipe COP9 conclut cet article sur ce rappel : un dépistage précoce et un traitement adapté sont essentiels pour prévenir les complications et préserver la vision.
Our COP9 health center, created by Dr. Stéphanie Zwillinger, is particularly addressed to patients affected by glaucoma. Our surgeon ophthalmologist
Glaucoma is an eye disease that is usually caused by an increase in eye pressure and requires professional monitoring and
Our team of professionals is pleased to welcome you to our Parisian center, where we have made pediatric ophthalmology our
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