Idiopathic glaucoma in an 11-year-old crossbred mare.

The research article investigates a case of idiopathic glaucoma in an 11-year-old crossbred mare, where despite treatment, improvement was not observed and the affected eye was ultimately removed.

Summary of Case

• The mare was first observed with several symptoms in its left eye, namely buphthalmia (an enlargement or distention of the eyeball beyond its normal size), a mydriatic pupil (one that is abnormally dilated) unresponsive to light, ventral corneal edema (swelling in the lower region of the cornea, the transparent front part of the eye) and corneal striae (stretch marks or superficial wrinkles in the cornea).

Diagnosis and Treatment

• Due to the intraocular pressures exceeding 80 mmHg being much higher than the average of 10-21mmHg, a presumptive diagnosis of glaucoma was made. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases which result in damage to the optic nerve and can lead to vision loss or blindness if not treated.
• Treatment was promptly commenced, but after several days of no improvement, a decision was made to enucleate, or remove, the affected eye. This is a common treatment for severe or end-stage glaucoma where other treatments have failed, to alleviate the resulting pain and potential further health risks to the animal.

Conclusions

• This case study highlights the severe impact of high intraocular pressure and the importance of swift treatment to prevent further deterioration of eye health and the wellbeing of the horse.
• It further illustrates that although treatments are available, in some advanced and resistant cases as in this mare, enucleation might be the only viable option.