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Surv OphthalmolFebruary 202162 citations

Glaucoma and neuroinflammation: An overview.

Quaranta Luciano, Bruttini Carlo, Micheletti Eleonora, Konstas Anastasios G P, Michelessi Manuele, Oddone Francesco, Katsanos Andreas, Sbardella Diego, De Angelis Giovanni, Riva Ivano


AI Summary

This overview highlights neuroinflammation's potential role in glaucoma's development and progression, linking it to retinal ganglion cell degeneration and offering new therapeutic targets.

Abstract

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by well-defined optic disc morphological changes (i.e., cup enlargement, neuroretinal border thinning, and notching, papillary vessel modifications) consequent to retinal ganglion cell loss, axonal degeneration, and lamina cribrosa remodeling. These modifications tend to be progressive and are the main cause of functional damage in glaucoma. Despite the latest findings about the pathophysiology of the disease, the exact trigger mechanisms and the mechanism of degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons have not been completely elucidated. Neuroinflammation may play a role in both the development and the progression of the disease as a result of its effects on retinal environment and retinal ganglion cells. We summarize the latest findings about neuroinflammation in glaucoma and examine the connection between risk factors, neuroinflammation, and retinal ganglion cell degeneration.


MeSH Terms

GlaucomaHumansNeuroinflammatory DiseasesOptic DiskOptic Nerve DiseasesRetinal Ganglion Cells

Key Concepts4

Neuroinflammation may play a role in both the development and the progression of glaucoma as a result of its effects on retinal environment and retinal ganglion cells.

MechanismReviewn=Not applicableCh1Ch5

Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy characterized by well-defined optic disc morphological changes (i.e., cup enlargement, neuroretinal border thinning, and notching, papillary vessel modifications) consequent to retinal ganglion cell loss, axonal degeneration, and lamina cribrosa remodeling.

DiagnosisReviewn=Not applicableCh1Ch5

These modifications (optic disc morphological changes, retinal ganglion cell loss, axonal degeneration, and lamina cribrosa remodeling) tend to be progressive and are the main cause of functional damage in glaucoma.

PrognosisReviewn=Not applicableCh1Ch5Ch7

Despite the latest findings about the pathophysiology of glaucoma, the exact trigger mechanisms and the mechanism of degeneration of retinal ganglion cells and their axons have not been completely elucidated.

MechanismReviewn=Not applicableCh1Ch5

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