[Neovascular glaucoma--etipathogeny and diagnosis].

Neovascular glaucoma is defined as an iris and/or anterior chamber angle neovascularization associated with increased intraocular presure. It is a secondary glaucoma most frequently determined by a severe retinal ischemia. The most common diseases responsible for the development of neovascular glaucoma are diabetic retinopathy, ischemic central retinal vein occlusion and ocular ischemic syndrome; the uncommon causes include ocular radiation, ocular tumors, uveitis and other miscellaneous conditions. Vascular endothelial growth factor is an important and probably predominant agent in the pathogenesis of both intraocular neovascularization and neovascular glaucoma. The evolution of clinical and histopathological changes from predisposing conditions to the occurrence of rubeosis iridis as well as neovacular glaucoma is divided into four grades that is prerubeotic, preglaucomatous, open-angle and angle closure glaucoma stages.