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Clinical Features Of Primary Glaucoma In Ibadan


AO Ashaye

Abstract

Objectives: This study will describe the clinical features of primary glaucoma in adults seen at the eye clinic of the University College Hospital, in Ibadan and their gonioscopic appearance. Features of primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) were compared with primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG).


Method: The clinical presentation and configuration of anterior chamber angles of 80 newly diagnosed adult cases of primary glaucoma presenting at the eye clinic of the University College Hospital, Ibadan were studied.


Study Group: Over half of the patients were in the 50-69 years age group; 10% were less than 30 years. The male to female ratio was 5:3.


Findings: Acute symptoms, such as haloes, redness were absent in all of them. A high proportion (22%), were blind in both eyes on presentation to the eye clinic. About 55% were either blind or severely visually impaired in one eye. Severe cupping and atrophy of optic nerve heads, severe field loss and high intraocular pressure were the typical presentations.


Eyes examined with a gonioscope revealed that 15% had closed, 26.2% had narrow and 58.8% had wide open angle glaucomas.


Angle closure glaucoma did not present with acute features in the patients studied. Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) presented with chronic symptoms similar to primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in adults. Higher mean intraocular pressure (IOP), lower mean age at presentation, worse visual acuity and fields at presentation were more prevalent in subjects with PACG than in those with POAG.


Conclusion: A more detailed examination of angle features in a population-based glaucoma survey is needed to answer some questions on the characteristics of glaucoma, especially angle closure glaucoma in Africans and reasons why glaucoma presents with severe features in Africans.


Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology Vol. 11(2) 2003: 70-75

Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2468-8363
print ISSN: 0189-9171