Congenital Glaucoma

What is Congenital Glaucoma?

Congenital Glaucoma is a rare genetic eye condition that affects children at birth causing abnormally high eye pressure.

Symptoms

Common symptoms of Congenital Glaucoma

Congenital Glaucoma is also called ‘Newborn’ or ‘Childhood’ Glaucoma. Look for symptoms in your child like:

Excessive tearing

Uncontrollable eye twitching

Light sensitivity

Enlarged one or both eyes

Cloudy cornea

Redness of the eye

Risk Factors

Who is at risk of getting Congenital Glaucoma

People with a family history
Having a sibling with primary Congenital Glaucoma

Treatments Available

Here’s how our experts treat Congenital Glaucoma

At Vasan, we offer treatments tailored for the best result for your child that include:

Surgery

Surgery is typically the primary option. Due to anaesthesia risks for young children, doctors prefer to perform the procedure promptly after confirming the diagnosis. If both eyes are affected, surgery is done on both eyes at the same time.

Eye Drops & Oral Medications

Eye drops & medicine to be taken by mouth or a combination of the two are used to help control fluid pressure.

Microsurgery

The procedure involves using tiny tools to create a drainage canal for excess fluid. In some cases, a valve or small tube may be implanted to facilitate fluid drainage from the eye.

FAQs

Congenital Glaucoma occurs when there’s a birth defect in the angle of the eye, hindering the normal outflow of aqueous humour. This raises intraocular pressure, damaging the optic nerve.

While it’s not fully reversible, it can be controlled to prevent complete vision loss. Early treatment is key to preventing worsening symptoms. If your child shows symptoms, reach out to an eye care specialist as soon as possible.

Treatment options for congenital glaucoma primarily involve surgery, alongside other methods such as eye drops, oral medications to reduce aqueous humour production and microsurgery.

The child undergoes a comprehensive eye exam in an operating room while under anaesthesia. The doctor measures intraocular pressure and thoroughly examines the eye. Diagnosis is made after considering all symptoms and ruling out other possible causes.

There are 2 types of Congenital Glaucoma which are characterised as:

Primary Congenital Glaucoma which is not caused by another condition at birth.

Secondary Congenital Glaucoma is caused by another condition at birth, such as a tumour or infection.