Schlemm

Schlemm is a surname of German origin. In medical contexts, it is closely associated with Friedrich Schlemm, a German ophthalmologist who described a circular drainage channel in the eye that bears his name.

Schlemm's canal is located in the eye's anterior chamber angle, at the limbus where the cornea meets the sclera. It forms part of the conventional aqueous humor outflow pathway, collecting fluid from the anterior chamber and draining it into the scleral venous plexus. The canal runs circumferentially around the eye and can be accessed in certain glaucoma procedures.

Dysfunction or blockage of Schlemm's canal can contribute to elevated intraocular pressure, a major risk factor for glaucoma. As a result, some treatments for glaucoma aim to enhance drainage through or around Schlemm's canal. Approaches include medications that reduce aqueous production or increase outflow, laser therapies, and surgical interventions such as canaloplasty or trabeculotomy that target the canal or its vicinity.

In addition to the medical eponym, Schlemm may appear as a family name in historical or contemporary contexts, though Friedrich Schlemm remains the most commonly referenced figure in ophthalmology associated with the term Schlemm's canal. The name continues to appear in biographical records and discussions of eye anatomy and glaucoma.