[The dynamics of the glaucoma process based on data from prolonged ambulatory care of patients]

On the basis of a prolonged dispensary observation (from 14 to 27 years) over 107 patients, the authors have studied timeliness of therapeutic and surgical treatment, dynamics of glaucomatous process after 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21-27 years. In the beginning of the observation, initial and advanced stages (88.5%) with a moderate rise of intraocular pressure (69%) prevailed. With prolongation of observation, initial stages regularly turn into subsequent ones, sometimes in the presence of normal values of intraocular pressure. Stabilization of glaucomatous process was most frequently observed in patients who had underwent regular complex medicamentous therapy and timely surgical treatment. Glaucoma of stage I most frequently turns into more advanced stages with decreased visual functions within first three years. Therefore, it is in this period when patients should be subjected to thorough dispensary observation, timely refer to in-patient's treatment, and the question about surgical treatment be decided in early terms.