Importance of the reliable glaucoma progression follow-up in the clinical practice

Abstract

Glaucoma is globally, according to WHO reports, the first cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. The disease is responsible for 5.2 mln of total visual loss cases. Main problem with glaucoma still remains the same – the late diagnosis and late therapy onset. On the second place, we should mention inappropriate therapy course due to low patients compliance, too conservative doctors approach and difficulites with correct interpreting of the imaging tests, as well as with establishing glaucoma progression rate. Last but not least, problems with diagnostic tests availability should also be mentioned. In the last decade, several new diagnostic instruments, based on laser optics became more widespread. Besides the acquistion of high resolution images of the eye tissues, together with obtaining its precise measuerements, there is truly one key advantage: the possibility of making computer assisted calculatons of the progression rate and trends of measured parameters. However, this advantage is too rarely utilized in ophthalmologists everyday practice. It enables the reliable asssesment of the effectiveness of our therapy, telling us if sometning more should be done. Our thereputic decisions, concerning the choice between topical medications, laser or surgery should always by accompanied by the long term diagnostic tests analysis, using the implemented software progression tools.