Relevance of the site of injury of glaucoma to neuroprotective strategies.

PubMed ID: 11377443

Author(s): Levin LA. Relevance of the site of injury of glaucoma to neuroprotective strategies. Surv Ophthalmol. 2001 May;45 Suppl 3:S243-9; discussion S273-6. Review. PMID 11377443

Journal: Survey Of Ophthalmology, Volume 45 Suppl 3, May 2001

Glaucomatous optic neuropathy is a chronic progressive disease associated with characteristic changes in the morphology of the optic disk, pattern of visual field, and death of retinal ganglion cells. Neuroprotection is a potential treatment for glaucomatous optic neuropathy which acts independently of lowering intraocular pressure. Neuroprotective strategies differ in their site of action, and it is important to correlate this with the location at which the glaucomatous injury occurs. This article describes a hypothetical scheme for determining the site of progression of glaucomatous optic neuropathy and discusses the implications of this model for evaluating studies of neuroprotection.