What is a congenital glaucoma ?

congenital glaucoma is glaucoma found in an infant from birth or within the first few years of life.

Glaucoma itself is a condition that is caused by too much pressure on the eye because a certain drain is defective. This can be a birth defect caused at random or by genetic inheritance. Glaucoma can cause blindness if not treated. The earlier it forms in infants will make it more difficult to treat.

Hope this helps.

Craig

an eye condition that needs treatment in order to keep the vision xx
Glaucoma is a condition that affects the eye and which can lead to loss of vision. It is caused by pressure behind the eye. It is tested for when you have an eye test at the optician - they puff a blast of air at your eye that measures the pressure. It can be treated with drops. The term 'congenital' means something you are born with. Glaucoma has a tendency to run in families. It is important, if you have a close relative with glaucoma, to ensure that you have regular eye tests and that you tell the optician that there is a family history of the condition. In the UK you are entitled to a free annual eye test when you reach the age of 40 if there is glaucoma in your family.
-Congenital:
something you are born with
-Glaucoma:
high pressure inside the eyeball, pressing on the optic nerve, causing cell death and loss of vision (if unchecked)

There is fluid system inside the eye that bathes and nourishes different structures in the eye-ball. An overproduction or decreased drainage of this fluid can cause the pressure inside the ey-ball to spike. This will damage the optic nerve, the 'cable' that takes pictures from the eye to the brain. If the optic nerve continues to suffer damage from uncontrolled high pressure the person can go blind.

Babies with congenital glaucoma need frequent exams and in most cases are treated with surgical operations.

Please see http://www.rcophth.ac.uk/docs/publicatio... for more information.