Glaucoma patients constitute a significant proportion of any ophthalmology clinic. Hence, a basic understanding, evaluation and management of the condition form part of the essential clinical skillset of any ophthalmologist.
Atlas of Glaucoma is a good read and very useful resource for anyone with an interest in glaucoma. The chapters seamlessly flow from one topic to the other in a very logical and sequential manner. The highlight of the book for me is the illustrations and colour photos that make it informative and engaging to the reader. Appropriately inserted tables also complement the text.
The book has a total of 21 chapters. The first seven deal with introduction to and classification of glaucoma, aqueous humour dynamics, intraocular pressure measurement, gonioscopy and optic nerve head assessment. The illustrations in these chapters are excellent and self-explanatory. My personal favourite was the one on gonioscopy. Detailed legends and coloured arrows that highlight relevant pathology accompany the photographs. This significantly aids understanding and interpretation.
The middle chapters (9-13) in the book on primary open-angle glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma and developmental glaucoma are by renowned experts in the field. A unique feature in these chapters is the ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) images. As UBM is not available in all units, the photographs provide a very useful insight into the pathophysiology of primary and secondary glaucoma.
The final chapters (14-21) concentrate on the management of glaucoma – medical and surgical. The chapter on medical management has useful photos demonstrating side-effects of glaucoma medications. High-resolution photos explain every step of filtration surgeries – trabeculectomy, non-penetrating glaucoma surgery and glaucoma drainage devices. A new chapter on trabecular bypass surgery has been added in the third edition – web addresses have been provided where the procedure may be viewed.
In a nutshell, the book does what it says on the tin. It takes the reader through a very interesting journey starting from the basics, to the latest innovations in the field of glaucoma, all with good quality images and illustrations. It is an invaluable resource for a senior trainee with a subspecialty interest in glaucoma, glaucoma fellows and glaucoma consultants. It would make an excellent teaching aid for the juniors. While the book is a useful addition to any ophthalmology library, it is perhaps expensive to own one.
