2020–2021 BCSC Basic and Clinical Science Course™
10 Glaucoma
Chapter 8: Secondary Open-Angle Glaucoma
Secondary Open-Angle Glaucoma
Schwartz Syndrome (Schwartz-Matsuo Syndrome)
Individuals with a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) typically have lower IOP, presumably because of increased outflow of fluid through the exposed retinal pigment epithelium. Schwartz was the first to describe elevated IOP associated with an RRD. Matsuo later demonstrated the presence of photoreceptor outer segments in the aqueous humor of patients with RRDs. The postulated mechanism of IOP elevation is the liberation of photoreceptor outer segments, which migrate through the vitreous into the anterior chamber and trabecular meshwork, where they impede aqueous outflow. The photoreceptor segments may be mistaken for an anterior chamber inflammatory reaction or pigment. The IOP tends to normalize after successful surgery to reattach the retina.
Excerpted from BCSC 2020-2021 series: Section 10 - Glaucoma. For more information and to purchase the entire series, please visit https://www.aao.org/bcsc.