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These glaucoma terms are more completely described on another page on our website: Aqueous Humor - The fluid produced within the front part of the eye. Bleb - A bubble within the tissue overlying the new drainage opening created during surgery. Central Vision - What
is seen when you are looking straight ahead or
reading.
Ciliary Tissues - Tissues
located around the lens of the eye that supply nourishing fluid to
the eye.
Conjunctiva -
A thin, clear membrane that lines the inner surface of the eyelids
and the outer surface of the eyeball, except for the cornea.
Cornea - The clear
part of the eye located in front of the iris. Part of the eye’s
protective covering.
Drainage Canals - Small
openings around the outer edge of the iris, which provide the final
pathway for fluid to leave the inside of the eye.
Sometimes referred to as the trabecular meshwork or,
Schlemm’s canal.
5-FU -
A medication that stops the healing process. Sometimes
used around the new drainage hole created during
surgery (the bleb) to stop it from healing or scarring over.
Glaucoma Suspect - A
person may be considered a glaucoma suspect on the basis of high
intraocular pressure, a suspicious appearance of the optic disc or
visual field, a family history of glaucoma, or narrow angles between
the iris and cornea.
Gonioscopy -
In this test, a contact lens that contains a mirror is gently placed
on the eye. The mirror
lets the doctor look sideways into the eye to check whether the
angle where the iris meets the cornea is open or closed.
This helps the doctor decide whether open-angle or
angle-closure glaucoma is present.
Intraocular
Pressure (IOP) -
The internal pressure of the eye. Normal intraocular pressure
usually ranges from 10-22 mm Hg,
although people with relatively low pressures can still have
glaucoma (see normal tension glaucoma.)
Iris -
The colored part
of the eye that can expand or contract to allow just the right
amount of light to enter the eye.
Laser
Surgery - A type of surgery in which a tiny, powerful beam of light is used to
solve problems in the eye. There
are three common forms of laser surgery for glaucoma:
Laser
Peripheral Iridotomy - Creates a new drainage hole in the iris,
allowing the iris to fall away from the outflow channel so fluid
can drain out of the eye. Laser
Trabeculoplasty - In this procedure, the laser is aimed toward
the normal drainage channels of the eye, in an attempt to open
those channels so fluid can leave the eye more efficiently. Laser
Cyclophotocoagulation - This laser procedure is usually used in
people who have severe glaucoma and are not responsive to
standard glaucoma surgery. Laser
energy is used to partially destroy the tissues that make the
fluid within the eye. Lens - Located behind the iris,
helps light focus onto the retina. Microsurgery -
Surgery performed with a microscope in
which and instrument is used to make a tiny, new opening in the
sclera so that intraocular fluid can drain out of the inside of the
eye.
Mm Hg - An
abbreviation for “millimeters of mercury,” which is a scale for
recording intraocular pressure.
Normal
Tension Glaucoma - A rare form of
glaucoma in which intraocular pressure stays within the normal range
(10-22 mm Hg), but damage still occurs to the optic nerve and visual
fields.
Ophthalmoscopy -
A test designed to examine the inside of the eye, especially the
optic nerve. An instrument with a small light on the end is held up to the inside of
the eye in a darkened room. This
instrument lights up and magnifies the eye, and lets the doctor look
at the shape and color of the optic nerve.
Optic
Nerve - The nerve in the back of the eye that carries visual images to the
brain.
Perimetry -
(Also known as the visual field test.) A test that produces
a map of the complete field of vision,
designed to determine whether there is damage to any area of vision.
Peripheral
Vision - The
top, sides, and bottom areas of vision, which are usually the first
areas of vision affected by glaucoma.
Pupil - The opening that regulates how much light enters the inner part of
the eye.
Retina -
The part of the eye that carries light and images to the brain through the optic
nerve.
Sclera -
The tough, white, protective, outer coat of the eye.
Tonometry -
The use of a device to measure the pressure within the eye.
There are three types of tonometry: Air Puff - This is the only type of tonometry that does not touch
the surface of the eye. The
patient sits upright at the instrument, and a warm puff of air
is directed at the eye. Applanation -
The patient’s eye is first treated with numbing drops and a
stain called fluorescein. The tonometer is then placed gently on the cornea, and
a very small amount of pressure is applied to the cornea.
The patient may sit in front of the tonometer or a
hand-held tonometer may be used. Schiotz -
This type of tonometer was formerly used in the operating room
or with people who are unable to sit upright (such as infants
or small children). The
patient is lying down or sitting back.
After use of a numbing drop, the tonometer is placed
gently on the front part of the eye. This type of
tonometry is rarely used today. Trabecular
Meshwork -
The formal name of the mesh-like drainage canals all around the
iris. | Home
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