Glaucoma in Amblyopia

Abstract

A normal working gland or muscle requires and usually receives more blood than a similar organ that is not working. In cases of subnormally functioning organs the blood supply is physiologically decreased. Such organs cannot call upon the same extensive vascular response that is obtained by normal tissue. This is shown by the lessened response of amblyopic eyes to anterior-chamber puncture. The author believes, therefore, that primary glaucoma should be relatively infrequent in such eyes. A search of the literature supports this opinion, for no definite case of chronic primary glaucoma in an amblyopic eye was found, and only one case of acute glaucoma in such an eye. It is assumed, in explaining the infrequency, that a critically important increased inflow of fluids is less likely to occur in such amblyopic eyes. Because the vascular crisis is greater in the acute than in the chronic form, the former is considered the more likely to occur. A case of acute glaucoma in amblyopia is here recorded. A normal working gland or muscle requires and usually receives more blood than a similar organ that is not working. In cases of subnormally functioning organs the blood supply is physiologically decreased. Such organs cannot call upon the same extensive vascular response that is obtained by normal tissue. This is shown by the lessened response of amblyopic eyes to anterior-chamber puncture. The author believes, therefore, that primary glaucoma should be relatively infrequent in such eyes. A search of the literature supports this opinion, for no definite case of chronic primary glaucoma in an amblyopic eye was found, and only one case of acute glaucoma in such an eye. It is assumed, in explaining the infrequency, that a critically important increased inflow of fluids is less likely to occur in such amblyopic eyes. Because the vascular crisis is greater in the acute than in the chronic form, the former is considered the more likely to occur. A case of acute glaucoma in amblyopia is here recorded.