Abstract
Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is no longer considered an isolated eye
pressure-dependent optic neuropathy, but a neurodegenerative disease in which oxidative
stress and neuroinflammation are prominent. These processes may be exacerbated by
additional systemic diseases. The most common are arterial hypertension, dyslipidemia, and
diabetes mellitus. Using diabetes mellitus as an example, it will be shown how
far-reaching the influence of such a systemic disease can be on both the functional and
the structural diagnostic methods for POAG. This knowledge is essential, since these
interferences can lead to misinterpretations of POAG, which can also affect therapeutic
decisions.
Key words
glaucoma - diabetes - functional diagnostics - structural diagnostics - perimetry - optical coherence tomography