Glaucoma and retinal detachment
C. D. Phelps and T. C. Burton
In a survey of 817 patients undergoing primary operations for retinal
detachment, glaucoma was present in 9.5%. Ocular hypertension (intraocular
pressure [IOP] greater than 21 mm Hg) was present in an additional 6.5%.
Primary open-angle glaucoma; the type of glaucoma most frequently
encountered, occurred in 4% of the patients. Aphakic eyes and eyes with
peripheral anterior synechiae had high prevalences of glaucoma. A high
percentage of eyes with posttraumatic angle recessions had either glaucoma
or elevated IOPs. Miotics used in the treatment of glaucoma could not be
definitely implicated as a cause of retinal detachment. The rate of
successful retinal reattachment was the same, whether or not glaucoma was
present. However, a good visual result occurred less frequently in patients
with glaucoma.
