Alerting close relatives of patients with glaucoma

Abstract

More than 1% of people aged over 40 in the United Kingdom have chronic open angle glaucoma. It characteristically causes bilateral optic atrophy with progressive reduction of the visual fields and, if untreated, eventually leads to blindness. Over 20 years ago near relatives of people with this form of glaucoma were shown to be at particular risk of developing the disease. This discovery led to glaucoma family screening clinics being set up in some centres. Eye surgeons, however, currently rely on patients themselves to contact their near relatives to suggest that they too should be checked for glaucoma. The authors examined how effectively this informal system was working at the Southampton Eye Hospital.