eMJA: On the lookout: how to save the sight of Australians who have glaucoma

Editorials

On the lookout: how to save the sight of Australians who have glaucoma

Mark J Walland

MJA 2008; 188 (5): 269-270

Excessive reliance on intraocular pressure to detect glaucoma leaves many affected patients undiagnosed and untreated; visualisation of the optic disc is a dying art that needs to be revived

Intraocular pressure (IOP) is measured by tonometry. In our community, mean IOP is around 15 mmHg, with a normal range (mean ± 2 SD) regarded as 10–21 mmHg. This information is irrelevant to the diagnosis of glaucoma.

Misconceptions about the importance of IOP in diagnosing and screening for glaucoma continue to result in unnecessary blindness in Australia from glaucomatous optic neuropathy. An aggressive realignment in our thinking is required.

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