Nishat Sultana1, Vinuta Mohan Kulkarni2, Abdul Rauf Abid3
BACKGROUND
Glaucoma is an irreversible disease characterised by progressive optic neuropathy. Glaucoma being next to cataract for visual loss do not present early. Early diagnosis and treatment is very important in such patients. All patients with cataract being subjected to cataract surgery should be screened for glaucoma to explain the guarded visual prognosis associated with glaucoma and also to effectively start treatment for glaucoma.
The aim of the study is to study the various types and spectrum of glaucoma in patients admitted for cataract in Minto Regional Institute of Ophthalmology.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
A hospital-based prospective study was conducted from January 2017 to June 2017 on 100 patients admitted for cataract surgery in Minto Regional Institute of Ophthalmology. After ethical clearance and informed consent, each patient was subjected to detailed evaluation for glaucoma including assessment of visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, IOP by Perkins tonometry, CCT, gonioscopy, fundus examination and visual fields in glaucoma suspected cases. Diagnosis was done considering all these aspects.
RESULTS
In total of 100, about 53% of patients had features of glaucoma, including both glaucoma suspect and glaucoma. Among them, there were 58% males and 41% females. Age wise distribution was studied varying from 40 yrs. to 80 yrs. and mean value was 43 ± 7. About 84% of patients were found to have open angles and 16% of patients had closed angles. Among the various types, primary open-angle glaucoma, primary angle closure, secondary glaucomas and disc suspect were found to be 15%, 3%, 38% and 33%, respectively.
CONCLUSION
Glaucoma is in relatively higher incidence in patients above 40 years of age. Increased frequency of open-angle glaucomas was found compared to closed angle. Secondary glaucomas, which included lens-induced glaucoma and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma were also found to be in high incidence. Study infers that glaucoma evaluation should be given attention in all elderly group of patients for early diagnosis and treatment.
