Glaucoma in Pathological Myopia, Diagnosis and Treatment Approaches

Abstract

The rising global prevalence of myopia is contributing to an increase in pathological myopia (PM). Myopia has been extensively documented as a risk factor for primary open-angle glaucoma. However, glaucomatous changes in eyes with PM typically occur at normal intraocular pressures. Moreover, the unique anatomical alterations observed in PM result in distinctive differences in the clinical appearance of the optic nerve head and peripapillary region. Consequently, the evaluation of optic nerve cupping is more challenging in these cases than in those of normal eyes. Therefore, the diagnosis and treatment of glaucoma in this patient group is challenging. Furthermore, these patients may present with established visual field defects that can mimic glaucoma. On the other hand, optical coherence tomography is less useful for the detection and monitoring of disease due to the lack of normative data for these anatomically unique eyes. The most crucial factor in detecting early glaucomatous changes is the monitoring of the progression of retinal nerve fiber layer thinning over time. Consequently, the most effective method of monitoring glaucoma patients with PM is through longitudinal follow-up. Finally, the medical and surgical management of glaucoma in patients with pathologic myopic glaucoma presents its own unique challenges.