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What is glaucomatous optic neuropathy?

  • Forefront Review: Current Controversies
  • Organizers: Tetsuya Yamamoto, MD, PhD, Makoto Aihara, MD, PhD
  • Published:
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Abstract

Glaucomatous optic neuropathy (GON) is the pathohistological feature of glaucoma in the optic nerve. The pathogenesis of GON has been hypothesized, to either originate from compromised mechanical conditions at the lamina cribrosa or as associated with pathological vascular involvement. From a historical perspective, glaucoma is the degeneration of retinal ganglion cells (RGC) due to the elevation of intraocular pressure (IOP). The consensus of glaucoma treatment is generally accepted as sufficient IOP reduction. Is there an additional option to treat GON from the perspective of the vascular theory? In this section, two distinguished leaders in glaucoma research advance their views and discuss the current opinions surrounding the two theories regarding the causes of GON in primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and normal tension glaucoma (NTG).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan

    Toru Nakazawa

  2. Division of Opthalmology and Visual Science, Graduated School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan

    Takeo Fukuchi

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  1. Toru Nakazawa
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Correspondence to Toru Nakazawa or Takeo Fukuchi.

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Conflicts of Interest

T. Nakazawa, Grant (Santen, Senju, Topcon, Nidek), Speaker fee (Santen, Senju, Topcon), Lecture fee (Santen, Senju, Topcon), Consultant fee (Santen); T. Fukuchi, Grant(HOYA, Atsuzawa Proteze, Shiga Medical Instruments, Union Medical, Retina Kitanihon, Abbott Medical Optics, Otsuka, Santen, SENJU, Alcon Japan, KOWA, Pfizer Japan, GLAUCOS Japan, abbvie), Lecture fee (Otsuka, Santen, SENJU, Alcon Japan, KOWA, Pfizer Japan, GLAUCOS Japan, Nitten, Alcon), Consultant fee (Otsuka, Santen, SENJU, Alcon Japan, KOWA, GLAUCOS Japan, abbvie, Alcon).

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Organizers: Tetsuya Yamamoto, MD, PhD, Makoto Aihara, MD, PhD.

Corresponding Authors: Toru Nakazawa, Takeo Fukuchi

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Nakazawa, T., Fukuchi, T. What is glaucomatous optic neuropathy?. Jpn J Ophthalmol 64, 243–249 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-020-00736-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-020-00736-1

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