On the problem of the classification of congenital glaucoma

Abstract

Objective. To monitor congenital glaucoma and to determine the proportion of the exposed stage of the disease revealed during the initial examination and the long-term follow up. Materials and methods. The present study included 27 children (47 eyes) at the age ranging from 8 to 17 years presenting with various forms of compensated congenital glaucoma at the initial, advanced, and terminal stages of the disease. Results. The clinical and functional characteristics of the eyes at each stage of congenital glaucoma were analyzed during the initial examination and the long-term follow-up period. It was found that the currently universally accepted classification of congenital glaucoma that subdivides the disease into stages based on the structural anatomical changes in the eyes ceases to adequately reflect the objective state of the visual system as the child grows. Conclusion. The study has demonstrated that the stage of congenital glaucoma needs to be corrected in accordance with the age and growth of the child and the possibility of its examination with the use of the psychophysical methods and the evaluation of visual acuity.