Definition
Buftalmo is the increase in volume of the eyeball. Therefore, a buftalmic eye appears large and protruding.
Buftalmo is a typical sign of congenital glaucoma, a disease that occurs in early childhood. In this case, the enlargement of the entire bulb occurs due to a rare malformation of the irido-corneal filtration angle, located in the anterior chamber. This defect, in fact, prevents the adequate drainage of aqueous humor from the eye, increasing the intraocular pressure; this causes a progressive bulging of the sclera and cornea, as well as progressively damaging the optic papilla. The cornea undergoes thinning, becomes opaque and blindness may occur.
Buftalmo may also indicate the presence of an intraocular tumor (eg retinoblastoma, uveal melanoma or intraocular lymphoma) or that involves the formation of a mass in the orbital cavity. Furthermore, eye enlargement is associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome, a rare congenital vascular disease characterized by capillary facial malformations (vinous angiomas), ocular disorders and neurological complications.
Possible Causes * of Buftalmo
- Glaucoma
- lymphoma
- Retinoblastoma
