A Continuing Medical Education (CME) on “Angle Closure Glaucoma” was held at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), to sensitise the faculty and students on the current practices in the management and treatment of glaucoma, an eye disease prevalent in Asian countries.
Dr Tanuj Dada, additional professor with the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, addressed the delegates.
Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is damaged in a characteristic pattern, which can permanently damage vision in the affected eyes and lead to blindness, if left untreated.
Raised intraocular pressure (the fluid pressure inside the eye), above 21 mmHg is the only modifiable risk factor for glaucoma. Glaucoma is of two types, Open Angle Glaucoma and Angle Closure Glaucoma. Both the types are equally common in India. Angle closure can appear suddenly and is often painful. In this case visual loss can progress quickly, but the discomfort often leads patients to seek medical attention before permanent damage occurs.
Open angle glaucoma tends to progress at a slower rate and patients may not notice that they have lost vision until the disease has progressed significantly.
Experts were of the view that patients with Angle Closure glaucoma can be treated with laser iridotomy - a process in which a hole is made in the iris with laser to reduce the narrowing of the angle, followed by medication or surgery, if required.
Director of JIPMER Dr T S Ravikumar inaugurated the CME programme organised by Dr Renuka Srinivasan, Head of Department, and Dr Subashini Kaliaperumal, Assistant professor of Ophthalmology department, JIPMER.