Patients with secondary open-angle glaucoma in pseudoexfoliation (PEX) syndrome among a population with high prevalence of PEX: Clinical findings and morphological and surgical characteristics

Abstract

Background. The second most frequent treatable cause of noninfectious blindness in Oman is high-pressure glaucoma. Therefore, in 2002 a study was performed at our department of ophthalmology to evaluate pseudoexfoliation (PEX) in glaucoma patients. Methods. In a prospective comparative cohort study, of 204 glaucoma eyes, 135 open-angle glaucomas were evaluated by biomicroscopy, papillometry, and electron microscopy and followed up after 6 months. Results. The incidence of PEX glaucomas relative to all glaucomas was 50.9% and to open-angle glaucomas 77%. The IOP level in PEX was higher than in POAG; the CDR, neuroretinal rim zone, and the visual field loss were not significantly different. In 38 of 104 operated PEX glaucoma eyes, the postoperative visual acuity deteriorated although the IOP was controlled. Conclusions. PEX high-pressure glaucomas account for half of all glaucomas in the eastern region of the Arabian peninsula. Surgical outcomes feature a high percentage of postoperative reduction of vision in the late PEX stage. © Springer Medizin Verlag 2005.