Disorder - Glaucoma

Organ Systems Involved
Nervous/sensory

Alternative disorders described within LIDA

Cataract; Coloboma; Cyclopia; Retinal Degeneration II; Strabismus; Waardenburg syndrome

Alternative Names
Primary glaucoma; Congenital glaucoma

Presenting Signs

Glaucoma is a group of diseases that cause increased pressure within the eye. If this elevated pressure is sustained, there can be damage to the retina and the nerve responsible for vision. This results in blindness. Clinical signs of early glaucoma are subtle in cats and may not be noticed. They include conjunctivitis, enlarged blood vessels in the whites of the eye (‘red eye’) and dilated pupils. The first change usually noticed in cats, however, is an enlarged eye (buphthalmos), which is a sign that pressure has been increased for a while. Buphthalmos is usually followed or accompanied by blindness and occasionally increased opacity of the eye.

Cats at Risk

Primary glaucoma is uncommon in cats and so far only a small number of breeds have been shown to be at risk. There is no gender predilection in this disease. Examination of published studies indicate that middle aged cats are most at risk of developing primary glaucoma (average age = 8.6-9.2 years), while congenital inherited glaucoma has been identified in young cats only (3 months to 3 years).

Breeds Affected
Burmese
European Shorthair
Persian
Siamese


Treatment

Medical and surgical: treatment is focused on decreasing pressure by reducing production or increasing drainage of fluid within the eye, and on making the cat comfortable. If medical treatment does not satisfy these goals then a fluid-producing part of the eye can be lasered or frozen, or the eye can be removed.

PubMed References
Glaucoma

Contributor
Rosemary Cuming