A Clinical Study on Management of Primary Open Angle Glaucoma

Glaucoma is a disease characterized by apoptosis, ganglion cell death related at least in part to intra ocular pressure. Ganglion cell death that causes a characteristic optic nerve change namely progressive narrowing or loss of the neuro retinal rim, is the hallmark of glaucoma. Primary open angle glaucoma is the commonest form of glaucoma in Indian sub content and constitutes about half of the Primary open angle glaucomas. Glaucoma is recognized as a major cause of ocular morbidity worldwide. About 66.8 million people are affected by Glaucoma worldwide and 6.7 million are bilaterally blind due to this disease. Efforts need to be made to train general medical and ophthalmic personnel in recognition of the disease and to highlight awareness of glaucoma in both the medical community and the general population. With this background this study has been conducted mainly to evaluate the effectiveness of medical therapy and of surgical therapy in the control of Intra ocular pressure, cupping of the disc and visual field defects in patients of Primary open angle glaucoma attending the Department of ophthalmology, Government General Hospital, Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, India.