Neovascular glaucoma and intraocular pressure: I. Pathogenesis of increased intraocular pressure and therapy (a review of historical and current therapeutic modalities).

The pathogenesis of neovascular glaucoma is summarized. Elevation of intraocular pressure is mostly associated with mechanical obstruction of the anterior chamber angle by the fibrovascular membrane, as well as with an enhanced ultrafiltration from the newly formed vessels. Drug therapy is insufficient. Standard filtering surgery is unsatisfactory with regard to the control of intraocular pressure and hemorrhagic complications. The drainage implants appear to be promising. Panretinal photocoagulation is unfavorable due to turbidity of the optical media. Favorable therapeutical results were achieved with cryosurgical techniques, namely panretinal cryocoagulation, combined with cyclocryocoagulation. Cyclocryocoagulation alone accounts for a high percentage of complications and therapeutical results are not convincing.