Clinical Decisions in Glaucoma

Book excerpt: This text provides a practical and expert problem-solving approach to the diagnosis and management of the glaucoma patient. The authors place emphasis on an approach to chronic, year-in, year-out care of the glaucoma patient - one of the most challenging management issues of the general ophthalmologists' practice. The first section of the book reviews the differential diagnosis of the patients who present with signs and symptoms suggestive of glaucoma, such as elevated pressure, abnormal optic nerve head, abnormal visual field and abnormal anterior chamber angle. The second section focuses on the chronic management of glaucoma. The authors describe the thought process/clinical decisions used to formulate and monitor treatment. In particular, they describe: how to determine the vigour with which to treat and monitor the individual patient; and how to determine if treatment is adequate and/or successful.