Pattern of glaucoma among adult somali patients aitending lions Sight first eye hospital nairobi, Kenya

Abstract

Study design: Hospital based cross-sectional study Objectives: To determine the patterns of Glaucoma among adult Somali patients in Lions First Sight Eye Hospital and to determine some of the associated risk factors related to open angle glaucoma and closed angle glaucoma for example: sex, age, family history, refractive error, Intra ocular pressure, Pseudoexfoliation, Hypertension and Diabetes mellitus. Methods: Adult Somali patients with glaucoma above 16 years old underwent comprehensive eye evaluation including visual acuity, subjective and objective refraction, Humphrey visual field test, anterior segment examination with a slit lamp, central cornea thickness, AC depth, axial length, Intra ocular pressure, gonioscopy and fundus examination after pupil dilatation. Patients were classified broadly as Open angle glaucoma and Angle closure glaucoma following Foster's classification. Results: A total of 64 adult patients were examined. There were 26 females (40.6%) and 38 males (59.4%). Majority of patients were over 50 years. The patterns of glaucoma found were 82.80% angle closure glaucoma and 17.2% of open angle glaucoma. 44 patients (67.7%) had lOP >21mmHg, 23 patients (35.9%) had pseudoexfoliation, 21 patients (32.8%) had refractive errors. CCT <520~m was found in 53 patients (82.8 %). Pseudoexfoliation and anterior chamber depth were the significant risk factors related to angle closure glaucoma. Risk factors which did not have a statistically significant relationship with glaucoma were diabetes, hypertension. xii Conclusions: Angle closure glaucoma is the predominant pattern of glaucoma in Somali patients. Pseudoexfoliation and anterior chamber depth were the significant risk factors related to angle closure glaucoma. Recommendations: Thorough screening of patients should be done to classify them appropriately. Central corneal thickness should be considered when measuring intra ocular pressure. Further studies are needed to ascertain the correlation between pseudoexfoliation and angle closure glaucoma. XIII