What are the risk factors for developing primary open-angle glaucoma?
This is an important list and since I glossed over them in the chapter, here they are again: High intraocular pressure (obviously) Age Family history Race (African American and Hispanics) Suspicious optic nerve appearance (large vertical cupping) Thin central corneal thickness (** remember this one!) There are other possible risk factors, but I’d focus on those above. These risk factors explain why we always ask our patients about familial history and why we check pachymetry (corneal thickness by ultrasound) on the first glaucoma visit. 5. What do we measure to monitor and follow progression in glaucoma patients? We generally check three things: pressure, disk changes by 3D photograph, and visual fields. Good stereo slides are difficult to obtain, so many use other imaging modalities like HRT or OCT. 6. What does corneal thickness have to do with glaucoma (as far as risk for developing glaucoma)? The OHTS trial showed that people with thin corneas are at higher risk for glaucoma, indep
