Glaucoma usually does not show any symptoms and may not be noticed until it reaches the advanced stage. In our study, demographic and clinical findings of patients who were diagnosed with glaucoma incidentally and were not aware of their disease and any symptoms are presented. Our study group consisted of people who did not have any symptoms and only wanted to receive an eye health report. Additional tests (visual field examination, retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) analysis, central corneal thickness etc.) for the diagnosis of glaucoma were planned for all participants over the age of 18 with suspected glaucoma (intraocular pressure >21mmHg, optic nerve changes (cup/disc (c/d) ratio of 0.6 and above, c/d asymmetry greater than 0.2 between optic discs, peripapillary atrophy, optic disc hemorrhage etc.) in routine examinations. The diagnosis and classification of glaucoma was defined according to the International Society for Geographical and Epidemiological Ophthalmology Classification. Glaucoma was diagnosed in 51 eyes of 35 out of 1024 patients, including 24 male patients and 11 female patients. The mean age of the patients was 62.31±12.392 years. There was 14 patients in primary open-angle glaucoma, 10 patients in pseudoexfoliation glaucoma, 6 patients in normotensive glaucoma, 1 patient with chronic angle-closure glaucoma, 1 patient with pigmentary glaucoma, 1 patient with angle-recession glaucoma, 1 patient with steroid-related glaucoma, and 1 patient with vitreoretinal surgery-related glaucoma. The mean visual acuity (VA) was 0.6 and above in all types except the patient who had the vitrectomy surgery. Primary open-angle glaucoma was the most common in incidentally diagnosed glaucoma patients. The presence of a high VA before symptoms develop in patients with glaucoma indicates the importance of early diagnosis in the prognosis of the disease.
Key words: Early diagnosis, glaucoma, retinal nerve fiber layer, visual field, vision loss
|
