Closed angle glaucoma is a form of glaucoma where during the course of a few hours the pressure in an eye rises dramatically potentially blinding the eye within a day. This occurs because the coloured part of the eye (Iris) in some individuals is very close to the drainage system of the eye and under the right conditions can close off the outflow of fluid causing the eye pressure to skyrocket.
In the past we have used a microscope during normal eye exams to assess peoples risk of this condition. Unfortunately the top down view from the microscope makes it difficult to judge how close the iris is to the drainage system.
The advent of high speed OCT scanning means we now get a side on view of this area making it extremely easy to screen patients for this potentially blinding process in a matter of seconds.