Glaucoma: Decision Making in Therapy

The volume reports lectures and discussions presented at the International Congress on Glaucoma, held in Rome on 2-4 February, 1996. The Congress has been designed to clarify and possibly to define the fundamental steps for managing glaucoma patients. "Decision making in therapy" does not mean that the conference sessions have been devoted to therapeutic problems only, even if semeiologic and diagnostic problems are pertinent when aimed at successful therapy. Actually, it is necessary to distinguish the onset of glaucoma from ocular hypertension, to decide if and how to start treatment and the methods to assess its effectiveness, to understand if the failure of medical therapy justifies surgery and, above all, if intraocular pressure is, in any case, the most important risk factor to treat. Particular relevance has been given to normal-pressure glaucoma, whose physiopatho logical and clinical characteristics are still highly controversial. Two round tables were devoted to the recent advances in the treatment of glaucoma, which aims at lowering intraocular pressure, directly improving the eye trophism and regenerating the areas damaged by the disease. All ophthalmologists, particularly the younger ones, have had the opportunity to capi talize on the experience and knowledge of distinguished experts from different parts of the world. This has been an invaluable and perhaps unique opportunity for all of us to express our doubts and to enhance our scientific background.