Glaucoma Week Series 2011- episode 1

Optom
Yesterday, I introduced Glaucoma as a chronic eye disease syndrome that destroys the Optic nerve head secondary to intra-ocular  pressure build-up and/or ishaemia of retinal vessels.

The cilliary body, a part of the cilliary process which holds the crystalline lens in place, is a serous membrane that secretes the aqueous humour. The cilliary body is located in the posterior portion of the eyeball as against the anterior portion of the eye that houses the anterior chamber, the canal of Shclem,the Trabecular meshwork & the Episleral outflow.
The aqueous humour secreted flows through the posterior to the anterior chamber via the pupillary opening. This process is continuous since the almost avascular anterior chamber must get nutrition and maintain an amount of internal pressure to resist implosion. The aqueous humour is responsible in maintaining the transparency of the cornea and the crystalline lens, it also enable these structures not to dry up. The aqueous humour also contain immunological properties that protect the internal eye from diseases. But it must flow out through the trabecular meshwork and/or the Episcleral spaces.
The amount of inflow of the aqueous and that of the outflow must maintain a kind of equilibrium. The absence of the equilibrium is one of the theories of the formation of Glaucoma.
To be continued.
Dr Ezebuiroh Victor.