Variations in the Myocilin Gene in Patients With Open-Angle Glaucoma

Abstract
GLAUCOMA IS the leading cause of permanent blindness in the world. It is estimated that 66.8 million people have glaucoma and that 6.7 million are bilaterally blind.1 In the United States, glaucoma is the second-leading cause of permanent blindness and the leading cause among African Americans.2 Primary open-angle glaucoma(POAG) is by far the most prevalent form of glaucoma in the United States. A significant fraction of POAG is heritable.3-5