Clinical Optometry (Mar 2024)
Successful Management of Bilateral Uncontrolled Advanced Primary Open Angle Glaucoma in a Pregnant Woman during the Restrictive COVID-19 Lockdown
Abstract
Asem A Alqudah, Abdelwahab Aleshawi Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Special Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, JordanCorrespondence: Asem A Alqudah, Division of Ophthalmology, Department of Special Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, P.O. Box 3030, Irbid, 22110, Jordan, Tel +962795458496, Fax +962-27095010, Email [email protected]: COVID-19 is a viral illness that can cause severe respiratory symptoms. COVID-19 has caused a worldwide pandemic that necessitated many countries to perform a national lockdown. In Jordan, a lockdown was imposed by the government. During the lockdown, the hospitals were only dealing with outpatient emergency cases, urgent referrals from primary or secondary health institutions, and inpatients whose medical conditions required keeping them admitted. Elective clinics and surgeries were canceled. At the King Abdullah University Hospital (KAUH), which is the only tertiary center in northern Jordan, we dealt with an unusual case of uncontrolled and advanced primary open angle glaucoma in a 38-year-old pregnant female patient. The patient was presented with an intraocular pressure (IOP) of 53 mmHg in the right eye and 40 mmHg in the left eye despite using dorzolamide and timolol eye drops twice daily. The angle was opened in gonioscopy. The decision was made to implant Ahmed glaucoma valves (AGV) in each eye in one session under general anesthesia which was performed successfully. At the last follow-up visit 4 years later, the IOP was maintained at 15 mmHg.Keywords: primary open angle glaucoma, glaucoma drainage device, pregnancy, COVID-19
