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Chronic simple glaucoma (chronic open angle glaucoma (COAG)) occurs when the
intra-ocular pressure is raised over several months. The eye remains white and
painless but there is insidious damage to the retina and optic fibres.
COAG is glaucoma without evident secondary cause, which follows a chronic time
course and occurs in the presence of an open anterior chamber angle (the trabecular
meshwork is visible on gonioscopy)
- COAG is categorised as early, moderate and advanced
- definitions are based on the Hodapp classification of visual field
loss for the stages of glaucoma
- in terms of mean defect (MD):
- early, MD greater than -6 dB;
- moderate, MD -6 dB to greater than -12 dB;
- advanced, MD -12 dB to greater than -20 dB
- severe visual impairment (blindness) is defined as MD -20 dB
or worse
It affects approximately 2% of the population over the age of 40 years
- approximately 10% of UK blindness registrations are attributed to glaucoma
- around 2% of people older than 40 years have chronic open angle glaucoma
(COAG), rising to almost 10% in people older than 75 years in white Europeans
- prevalence may be higher in people of black African or black Caribbean
descent or who have a family history of glaucoma
- estimated that 480,000 people are currently affected by COAG in England
The majority of patients found to have increased intraocular pressures on
screening do not have glaucoma when their peripheral fields and fundi are checked.
Patients with raised intraocular pressure who do not have glaucoma require life-long
follow-up in case of subsequent development of glaucoma.
Notes:
- people with a diagnosis of ocular hypertension (OHT), suspected COAG or
COAG should be monitored and treated by a trained healthcare professional
who has all of the following:
- a specialist qualification (when not working under the supervision of
a consultant ophthalmologist)
- relevant experience
- ability to detect a change in clinical status
Reference:
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