Once a month, Monica Ertel, MD, PhD, and Michael Puente, MD — both assistant professors of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine — lead a childhood glaucoma clinic at the Sue Anschutz-Rodgers Eye Center where they see more than a dozen patients and help to manage the disease.
Similar to adults, children can experience high intraocular pressure (IOP) that requires long term treatment. Glaucoma is rare in pediatric patients and requires a timely diagnosis to ensure the patient retains their vision.
“The problem arises when the natural drainage system in the eye has not developed properly and so kids are born with high eye pressure. That pressure pushes on the optic nerve and causes thinning of the optic nerve,” explains Ertel, who likens the optic nerve to a computer cable that’s connected to a power source.
“If you bend that cable over and over and put constant pressure on it, the cable will wear, and you’ll lose power. The same thing is happening with glaucoma,” she continues. “If there's high eye pressure and there's constant pressure on the cells in the back of the eye, it damages those nerves. And then, even if the eye is still there and it looks okay, that damage to the optic nerve means there's not a connection between the eye and the brain, so you can't perceive vision.”
The childhood glaucoma clinic works with patients and their families to preserve vision and keep young eyes developing healthily. Here, Ertel answers some of the most common questions about childhood glaucoma and the symptoms parents should be aware of for their young children.