FEATURES OF ULTRASOUND BIOMICROSCOPIC FINDINGS IN DIFFERENT FORMS OF GLAUCOMA

Glaucoma is a heterogeneous group of disorders that differ in the mechanisms of intraocular pressure ele­vation, anatomical characteristics of the anterior segment of the eye, and the nature of disturbances in aqueous humor outflow. Conventional diagnostic methods, such as slit-lamp biomicroscopy and gonioscopy, allow assessment of the anterior chamber and its angle, but often do not provide adequate visualization of the ciliary body, posterior chamber, zonular fibers, and retroiridal structures.

Ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) enables detailed evaluation of the spatial relationships between the iris, ciliary body, crystalline lens, zonular fibers, and structures of the anterior chamber angle. UBM findings differ signifi­cantly in primary open-angle and angle-closure glaucoma, plateau iris syndrome, pigmentary and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma, as well as in lens-induced and ciliary block mechanisms. Identification of the predominant anatomical mechanism of intraocular pressure elevation is of considerable importance for selecting a pathogenetically justified treatment strategy. UBM is also used to evaluate the outcomes of laser and surgical treatment of glaucoma.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the characteristic ultrasound biomicroscopic findings in different forms of glaucoma and to determine the diagnostic value of UBM in differentiating the major mechanisms responsible for increased intraocular pressure.