Klin Farmakol Farm. 2009;23(3):111-114

Contemporary pharmacotherapy of glaucoma

doc. MUDr. Eva Růžičková, CSc, Marek Fichtl, Jindřiška Betková, doc. MUDr. Bohdana Kalvodová, CSc

Univerzita Karlova v Praze, 1. lékařská fakulta, Oční klinika 1. LF a VFN

Glaucomas – one of the most serious problems of ophthalmology – have one of the leading position at a risk of irreversible world

blindness, the glaucomas causes 13 % of a whole world blindness.

It is well known that around 3,0–3,5 % of population have glaucomatous damage of an optic nerve linked with a loss of vision and

visual field loss. Because there are many types of glaucoma which affects younger generation, it is possible to rank glaucoma among

all-society problems. Elevated intraocular pressure was always hold as main etiopathogenetics factor which causes the glaucoma.

Tendency to lower intraocular presure was considered as the main philosophy of conservative treatment of glaucoma in the past. In

this point of view it has been changed a lot at last passed years. Glaucoma is thought to be multifactorial disease and the high intraocular

pressure is one of its risk factors – high intraocular pressure is too high to provide sufficient blood-flow through the optic nerve

disc. Sufficient blood flow through the optic disc is necessary to preserve changeless visual acuity. As an ideal medicament should

be considered the one which is satisfyingly safe for the patient, has a minimum of advers events, lower IOP at the levels well secure

for the eye, improve blood flow through the optic nerve head and enhance hemodynamic parameters.

Keywords: glaucoma, conservative treatment, pharmacotherapy.

Published: November 6, 2009  Show citation