engleski

Incidence of Acute Angle-Closure Glaucoma in Dalmatia, Southern Croatia

Aim. To investigate the incidence of acute angle-closure glaucoma among residents of Dalmatia, southern part of Croatia. Methods. We reviewed hospital records of 176 patients with acute angle-closure glaucoma treated between January 1995 and December 2001 at the Departments of Ophthalmology at four hospitals in Dalmatia. There were 122 women, aged between 29 and 89 years (median age ; 68 years), and 54 men, aged between 33 and 88 years (median age, 70 years). Results. The unadjusted crude incidence was 2.9/100, 000 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6-4.5). The unadjusted crude incidence among men and womenwas 1.9 (95% CI, 0.3-3.8) and 3.9 (95% CI, 1.7-6.1) cases/100, 000 per year, respectively. The relative risk (RR) of developing acute angle-closure glaucomawas 2.1 (95% CI, 1.5-2.9) times higher forwomen as compared to men. The RR of acute angle-closure glaucomawas 1.9 (95% CI, 0.6-6.2) in the 40-49 years group, 6.5 (95% CI, 2.3-18.8) in the 50-59 years group, 17 (95% CI, 6.3-47.8) in the 60-69 years group, and 28 (95% CI, 10.4-77.3) in the over 69 years group. The median time from the onset of symptoms to presentation at the hospital was 2 days (range, 1-15 days). In 87 (48%) patients intraocular pressure controlwas achieved by medical treatment, 41 (23%) patients underwent peripheral iridectomy, and 48 (27%) patients required a trabeculectomy. In 35 (73%) out of 48 patientsmanaged by filtering surgery, the delay in treatmentwas 3 ormore days. In 34 (19%) eyes with final visual acuity 0.1 orworse, the delay in presentationwas 3 days ormore. No statistically significant associationwas found between acute angle-closure glaucoma and seasonal variation (chi-square=0.85 ; p=0.8). Conclusion. Earlier recognition of the patientswith acute angle-closure glaucoma and a shorter time of delay in presentation could have saved many patients from surgery and vision loss each decade.

Croatia; glaucoma; angle-closure; incidence; seasons; therapy

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