Diagnosis and management of glaucoma in a horse

Abstract

"Sunny", a 15-year-old Quarter Horse mare, presented to the Cornell University Hospital for Animals on January 21, 2003 with a chief complaint of corneal edema and discomfort of her left eye. Upon presentation, Sunny was systemically healthy. Her left eye was mildly buphthalmic with an intraocular pressure of 32 mmHg (normal - 30 mmHg) and it had severe, diffuse corneal edema. Her right eye was normal with the exception of a few keratic precipitates, suggesting a history of recurrent uveitis. Based upon these clinical signs, a diagnosis of left eye glaucoma was made. Medical management was attempted, but it proved to be unsuccessful. An experimental surgical option was pursued. An Ahmed anterior chamber shunt was implanted and portions of the ciliary body epithelium were destroyed with trans-scleral diode laser cyclophotocoagulation. This seminar will focus on the various treatment options available for glaucoma therapy in horses.