Features of the Development of Childhood Glaucoma and the Possibilities of its Treatment

Annotation Glaucoma is an ophthalmological disease that is detected at birth or during life, where its development without treatment leads to severe consequences - blindness. Cases of partial or complete loss of visual functions in children due to increased intraocular pressure (IOP) are increasingly being detected, and this figure is constantly increasing in Eastern European countries (1-2 cases per 2500 newborns are registered). The appearance of this disease, its course and complications depend on the intraocular pressure, which at birth is 9-12 mm Hg. st., and later increases, reaching a maximum of 22-45 mm Hg. st. already in adulthood. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor IOP even in the early stages of development of the child's body. Timely detection of the disease in the early stages of is an extremely important problem in glaucoma and allows you to use drug treatment with a positive effect. In childhood, during growth, the parameters of the eye change, including the thickness of the eye membrane, its elasticity, which have a significant impact on the pressure distribution and the possibility of glaucoma. The authors conducted a simulation of the impact of changes in the thickness of the eye membrane on the distribution of stresses, which can lead to the occurrence of glaucoma. During the modeling process, it was determined that within the thickness of the eye membrane of 0.1-0.3 mm and the pressure of 9-14 mm Hg. optimal tension of less than 100 kPa is provided. Raising IOP values more than 21 mm Hg. leads to a sharp increase in tension (˃150 kPa) and the progressive development of glaucoma. Recommendations include preventive examination, IOP control when the thickness of the eye membrane changes, possible stages of drug and surgical treatment.