[Acute angle closure and angle closure glaucoma: Phacoemulsification as first-line treatment]

Abstract

Angle closure glaucoma is characterized by an optic neuropathy with a glaucomatous visual field defect with a white painless eye and mimics primary open-angle glaucoma. Acute angle closure attack is more symptomatic, with a red painful eye and elevated intraocular pressure. In both cases, iridocorneal angle closure is due to an increase in the thickness of the natural lens, which with age has a tendency to close a narrow angle. The rational approach to treating these situations is lens extraction. With today's improved lens extraction techniques, this surgical treatment should be proposed more frequently.