What is a pupillary block?
What is a pupillary block?
What is a pupillary block?
Pupillary block is the most common mechanism leading to acute angle-closure glaucoma, and it occurs when the flow of aqueous humor from the posterior chamber to the anterior chamber is obstructed by a functional block between the pupillary portion of the iris and the lens.
What causes pupillary block?
The block is caused via mechanical closure of the pupil by the optic of the pseudophakos or by the development of synechiae between the iris and the artificial lens or remaining lens capsule.
Where did glaucoma come from?
It has been proposed that the word glaucoma originates from the ancient Greek word ΓλαύV̇ξ – ΓλαύV̇κος (glaukos) a noun and adjective originating from the verb ‘ΓλαύV̇σσω’ (glausso), meaning “to glow” or “to shine”.
Why is pupil mid dilated in glaucoma?
The mid-dilated pupil occurs in acute angle closure for two reasons. First, the greatest amount of iris/lens contact occurs when the pupil is mid-dilated—this is why angle closure attacks commonly occur hours after patients are dilated as the drops start to wear off and the pupil begins to return to normal size.
How do you treat pupillary blocks?
The definitive procedure to break pupillary block is a peripheral iridectomy. This procedure usually can be accomplished using a laser (Nd:YAG, argon, or both), but, sometimes, in the case of severe inflammation, a surgical iridectomy may be necessary.
Can dilated pupils cause glaucoma?
You might have an attack of angle closure glaucoma if you have narrow drainage systems and your eyes dilate (your pupil gets bigger) too much or too quickly. This can normally happen when you: Go into a dark room.
Do pupils react with glaucoma?
Glaucoma is a disease that causes progressive loss of retinal ganglion cells and optic nerve axons, which can lead to visual field defects. It is also known to reduce pupil reflexes compared with normal eyes.
How do you treat pupillary block glaucoma?
Management
- Anti-glaucoma therapy (i.e. aqueous suppressant therapy) initially.
- Miotic drops may be helpful to eliminate the pupillary block / iris bombe.
- Surgical therapy often needed (procedures may include laser iridotomy, laser iridoplasty, surgical iridectomy, or glaucoma filtering surgery)