What is rubeotic or secondary glaucoma?
Rubeotic glaucoma is a secondary glaucoma. Secondary glaucoma is caused by the effect of another eye condition, an injury to the eye, or certain treatments, medications or operations.
Some causes of secondary glaucoma include:
- Pigment dispersion syndrome and pseudoexfoliation which is where pigment or flakes get deposited in the trabecular meshwork. This can increase eye pressure and lead to glaucoma.
- Uveitis (inflammation inside the eye) can lead to high eye pressure and glaucoma.
- Steroid medication can sometimes cause eye pressure to rise and lead to glaucoma.
- Abnormal blood vessel growth at the iris in conditions such as diabetic retinopathy or retinal vein occlusion can cause glaucoma, known as neovascular glaucoma.
The treatment for these types of glaucoma is again aimed at reducing the eye pressure as well as treating the underlying cause or eye condition.
Further information on glaucoma can be found on RNIB's glaucoma webpage.
