What is the condition characterized by the obstruction of the flow of aqueous humor out of the anterior chamber?

Glaucoma is a condition that significantly affects the eye, primarily due to the obstruction of the flow of aqueous humor, leading to increased intraocular pressure. Aqueous humor is a fluid produced in the eye that helps to maintain intraocular pressure and provides nutrients to the avascular structures of the eye, such as the lens and cornea. When there is an obstruction in the drainage pathways, often located at the angle between the cornea and the iris, the fluid cannot exit the anterior chamber efficiently, which results in elevated pressure.

This increase in pressure can damage the optic nerve, potentially leading to vision loss if not treated. Glaucoma can occur in several forms, including open-angle glaucoma and angle-closure glaucoma, both of which involve mechanisms that obstruct aqueous humor outflow but may present differently in symptoms and timing of pressure elevation.

Other conditions listed, such as cataract, retinal detachment, and astigmatism, do not primarily involve the obstruction of aqueous humor flow. Cataracts refer to the clouding of the eye's lens, retinal detachment involves the separation of the retina from the back of the eye, and astigmatism is a refractive error caused by an uneven curvature of the cornea or lens