Geriatric ophthalmology.

The threat of vision loss increases with age owing to a combination of the accumulation of untreated or partially managed eye disease (for example, immune-mediated keratoconjunctivitis) as well as the late-in-life onset of certain ocular disorders such as lens subluxation/luxation syndrome and senile/age-related cataracts. In addition, the ophthalmic effects of age-related systemic diseases such as systemic hypertension can be vision threatening as well. The veterinarian must always weigh the potential ophthalmic benefits of contemporary therapy against the potential patient risk, not only when ophthalmic surgery is considered but also with the use of various drugs.