Ultrasound biomicroscopical study of the irido-corneal angle in dominant juvenile open-angle glaucoma, in POAG, and in normal eyes.

PURPOSE: To compare various parameters of the chamber angle in a pedigree with dominant goniodysgenesis and juvenile open-angle glaucoma linked to chromosome 1q, GLC1A, with those in patients with adult-onset primary open-angle glaucoma, and in normal eyes.

METHODS

Ultrasound biomicroscopy was performed on 10 eyes with dominant goniodysgenesis and juvenile open-angle glaucoma, on 12 eyes with adult-onset primary open-angle glaucoma, and 24 normal eyes. Eight parameters were measured.

RESULTS

The anterior chamber angle, angle opening distance 500 microm from the scleral spur, trabecular meshwork--iris distance, and trabecular meshwork--iris pigment epithelium distance were statistically significantly higher in the group with juvenile glaucoma.

CONCLUSION

The wider chamber angle in dominant juvenile open-angle glaucoma could suggest a more complex anomaly with involvement of cornea and iris in addition to goniodysgenesis. The presence of goniodysgenesis in the dominant juvenile open-angle glaucoma patients could not be detected by ultrasound biomicroscopy, however.