Clinical and demographics profile of glaucoma patients in Hebron, Palestine — a retrospective hospital-based study

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to describe the clinical profile of glaucoma types, treatment modalities, visual outcomes, and intraocular pressure (IOP) control for patients in Palestine. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Data collection was done through the hospital record review, which included basic demographics including file number, age, sex, family history of glaucoma, history of anti-glaucoma and steroid medication, history of ocular trauma or surgery, etiology of secondary glaucoma and history of systemic illness. All the patients had a comprehensive eye examination, including visual acuity, intraocular pressure, vertical cup-disc ratio, and gonioscopy. Data were obtained, tabulated, and organized using Microsoft Excel, and statistical analyses were done using Wizard Version 1.9.49 by Evan Miller. RESULTS: There were 100 females with a mean age of 53 and 101 males with a mean age of 67. Primary open-angle glaucoma and its variants represented 45.3% of all patients, while secondary glaucoma represented 40.3% and primary angle closure glaucoma represented 10.4%. The prevalence of glaucoma increased with age, and the last visual acuity (VA) showed that 39.2% of eyes had Normal/near normal VA. The highest average IOP of 25 mm Hg was recorded among secondary glaucoma patients. Of all glaucoma eyes studied, 64% were on one or two medications, and the most common surgical procedures performed were peripheral iridectomy 18.2% followed by trabeculectomy 15.5%. CONCLUSION: Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) was the predominant glaucoma. Glaucoma increased significantly with advancing age. Pseudoexfoliation and neovascular glaucoma comprised the majority of secondary glaucoma.