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Abstract #19238 Published in IGR 3-1
Reflections and projections on crossing the millennium: tenth American Glaucoma Society lecture honoring Marvin L. Sears
Shields MBJournal of Glaucoma 2001; 10: 136-143
The author gave the tenth American Glaucoma Society lecture honoring Marvin L. Sears. This lecture dealt with the author's views on the changes that may occur on crossing the millennium. After mentioning Dr. Sears contributions, the author mentioned the most significant advances in the 20th century, such as tonometry, perimetry, image analysis, improvement in therapeutics, laser surgery, and incisional surgery. He does not think that any of these will receive the prize for major advances as this will go to our better understanding of the basic aspects of glaucoma, such as in aqueous humor dynamics, measure of aqueous inflow and outflow, mechanisms of increased intraocular pressure, and the significance of optic neuropathy. As he looks into the 21st century, he predicts that we will see an increasing use of pressure-independent neuroprotective therapies in combination with pressure-lowering treatments. We will see new drugs and surgical procedures that increase outflow. We will have to define a better means to establish the target pressure. The increasing number of studies into the molecular basis of glaucoma will undoubtedly have the most significant long-term impact on our understanding of the management of glaucoma. Molecular genetics is developing at an accelerating pace. Finally, in preparing for the future, it is necessary to improve our definition and classification of glaucoma.
Dr M.B. Shields, 330 Cedar Street, New Haven, CT 06520-8061, USA
