Juvenile Glaucoma

When glaucoma develops in children between the ages of four and ten, this is called late congenital  or developmental glaucoma. Juvenile primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) occurs in young people who develop glaucoma between age ten and 35. Most of these individuals have moderate-to-high myopia (nearsightedness). This condition is rare and strongly related to genetics. In fact, POAG is known to be autosomal dominant, which means that only one copy of the gene responsible for POAG is needed to cause the disease. As a result, half of the children of an affected parent will have POAG. Because of this strong genetic link, research is underway to learn more about this gene in order to better treat and possibly prevent this condition.