Diagnosis and management of primary open-angle glaucoma

Primary open-angle glaucoma offers a significant diagnostic and management challenge for primary care providers. Uncertainty clouds the definition of the disease, its prevalence, the sensitivity and accuracy of the clinical tests used for its diagnosis, the efficacy of antiglaucoma medications, the compliance of patients with these drug regimens, the appropriate use of follow-up examinations, and the use of surgical techniques in lieu of medical management. This discussion addresses these many vexing issues for the purpose of assisting primary care providers to better diagnose and manage glaucoma patients.