Laboratory publishes a report about duplication and deletions in the genome and glaucoma
INTRODUCTION
Glaucoma is a group of diseases characterized by progressive excavation of the optic disc caused by loss of the retinal ganglion cell axons. Glaucoma causes peripheral visual field loss and if untreated can lead to blindness; glaucoma is the second leading cause of legal blindness in the United States. Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG), the most common form of glaucoma in Western populations, is insidious in onset and affects 1-2% of the population over age 40. When POAG is observed in individuals under the age of 40 it is called juvenile open angle glaucoma (JOAG). Increased intraocular pressure is a well-documented risk factor, but not a diagnostic criterion, for POAG 1. More recently, reduced central corneal thickness (CCT) has been recognized as an important risk factor for glaucoma 2. Medical and surgical treatments aimed at reducing intraocular pressure may be effective in preventing progressive visual loss in POAG patients, but treatment is often not implemented until significant, unrecoverable vision loss has occurred due to a lack of symptoms in early disease and delayed diagnosis (see Kwon et al., 2009 for review). Read More...