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Top-Nine of the Russian Glaucoma Conference
November 23-25 2004, Moscow, Russia
Igor Loskutov
The glaucoma meeting 'Glaucoma: Problems and Decisions', was organized by the glaucoma unit of the Helmholtz Eye Research of Moscow, and supported by the Ministry of Health. The invited guest speakers were John Thygesen and Shlomo Melamed. The EGS Guidelines were highlighted by J. Thygesen at the very beginning of the meeting. The pathogenesis, medical treatment and surgery were discussed extensively. Interesting topics were:
- The amount of sex hormones was shown as decreased in POAG for men as well as for women. The estradiol level was decreased.
- Multifocal electroretinogram components and time measurements may be useful in glaucoma diagnosis as soon as they reflect the ganglion cell response.
- Ultrasound biomicroscopical evidence of ciliochoroidal changes
after glaucoma surgery in children helps in predicting further IOP rise as soon as ciliary body hypofunction recovers. - The use of pneumotonometry after LASIK and PRK provides much less accurate results than contact tonometry, but in cases of radial keratotomy, pneumotonometry may be of use.
- The endoscopic cyclolasercoagulation procedure is effective in secondary glaucoma in children.
- Non-penetrating deep sclerectomy was shown as possible preventive surgery for ischemic venous thrombosis neovascular glaucoma in a small preliminary study.
- No differences were found in hypotensive effect of non-penetrating glaucoma surgery before cataract surgery and that of combined procedure.
- The compliance of glaucoma patients did not exceed the level of 34.4%, in other words 65.7% of the glaucoma patients do not use hypotensive eye drops regularly.
- Eighty percent of people 'legally' blind because of glaucoma, are older than 70 and have a glaucoma history of 2-10 years
