Prevalence and clinical profile of glaucoma in rural-based tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Abstract Context: Glaucoma is the second leading cause of world blindness. Considering the scarcity of glaucoma studies in the Western part of Maharashtra, we conducted this study to determine the prevalence of glaucoma among adults aged 18 years and above. Aims: To determine the prevalence and clinical profile of glaucoma in rural-based Tertiary Care Hospital. Settings and Design: A cross-sectional study carried out in an Ophthalmology outpatient department in a rural-based Tertiary care hospital. Materials and Methods: Five hundred and eighty-three patients underwent ocular examination including visual acuity, slit-lamp examination, optic disc evaluation with +78D lens and intraocular pressure measurement with Goldmann applanation tonometer, gonioscopy, visual fields examination by Humphrey Field Analyzer and optic nerve head analysis using optical coherence tomography scan of all the glaucoma suspects. Statistical Analysis Used: The data of patients were tabulated and analyzed using SPSS. Results: Out of 583 cases, 42 cases had primary glaucoma; thus, the overall prevalence of glaucoma was found to be 7.2%. The open-angle group had 38 (90.4%) cases, whereas the narrow-angle group had 4 (9.52%) cases. Out of the total of 113 hypertensive patients, 16 were found to have glaucoma (38.09%, P < 0.01), and out of 84 diabetic patients, 14 cases were glaucomatous (33.33%, P < 0.01). The prevalence of glaucoma was found to be significantly associated with a positive family history, as 6 cases (14.3%) out of 42 had a positive family history (P < 0.01). Conclusions: The prevalence of glaucoma was found to be high in the population of the rural Western part of Maharashtra. Screening for glaucoma among middle-aged people with a positive family history, hypertension, and diabetes would help us in the early diagnosis and management of this irreversible disease.