Objective: In view of the paucity of community-based data about glaucoma in Saudi Arabia, better planning to address visual disabilities due to glaucoma is a challenge. Providing hospital-based data from semi-urban places will complement the picture based on information of tertiary eye hospitals of capital.
Methods: This is one-armed cohort study. All patients attending glaucoma subspecialty unit at our university hospital during 2014-2015 were evaluated for their demographic details, ocular status at presentation, management modalities, and follow-up status of treated eyes. The qualified and absolute success rates (intraocular pressure <22 mmHg with/without medication) were estimated. The determinants of success were analyzed.
Results: We assessed 219 eyes of 122 patients of glaucoma patients. Bilateral glaucoma was in 97 (79.7%) patients. Primary chronic angle closure glaucoma in 102 (46.6%) eyes and primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) in 56 (25.6%) were the main types of glaucoma. More than half of the eyes with glaucoma had a normal functional vision, while 9.2% had vision <20/400. At presentation, 133 (60.7%) had undergone surgical procedure including laser iridotomy. At last follow-up, 135 (62%) of glaucomatous eyes were not using glaucoma medications. The decline in a number of glaucoma medications at last follow-up compared to 1st visit was statistically significant (P < 0.001).
Conclusions: At tertiary eye center of semi-urban area of Saudi Arabia had primary chronic angle-closure glaucoma (PCACG) as the main type of adult glaucoma. Vision does not seem to understand the severity of glaucoma at presentation. POAG cases were medically managed while PCACG cases were managed both with laser and surgeries.
Keywords: Etiology; glaucoma; glaucoma medications; glaucoma surgery; intraocular pressure; visual disability.