April 2011
Volume 52, Issue 14
Free
ARVO Annual Meeting Abstract  |   April 2011
Blindness And Glaucoma: A Multicenter Data Review
Author Affiliations & Notes
  • Paolo Fogagnolo
    Fondazione GB Bietti-IRCCS, Rome, Italy
  • Paolo Frezzotti
    Ophthalmology, University of Siena, Siena, Italy
  • Antonio M. Fea
    Ophth/I Clinica Oculistica, Universita di Torino, Torino, Italy
  • Michele Iester
    Neurolog Sci & Ophthal Genetic, University Eye Clinic, Genova, Italy
  • Michele Figus
    Ophthalmology, University of Pisa, Pietrasanta, Italy
  • Antonio Ferreras
    Ophthalmology, Miguel Servet University Hospital, Zaragoza, Spain
  • Teresa Rolle
    Ophth/I Clinica Oculistica, Universita di Torino, Torino, Italy
  • Maurizio Digiuni
    San Paolo Hospital, Milan, Italy
  • Valentina Battaglino
    Ophth/I Clinica Oculistica, Universita di Torino, Torino, Italy
  • Luca M. Rossetti
    San Paolo Hospital, Milan, Italy
    Eye Clinic, San Paolo Hospital, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
  • Footnotes
    Commercial Relationships  Paolo Fogagnolo, None; Paolo Frezzotti, None; Antonio M. Fea, None; Michele Iester, None; Michele Figus, None; Antonio Ferreras, None; Teresa Rolle, None; Maurizio Digiuni, None; Valentina Battaglino, None; Luca M. Rossetti, None
  • Footnotes
    Support  None
Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science April 2011, Vol.52, 5052. doi:
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    • Get Citation

      Paolo Fogagnolo, Paolo Frezzotti, Antonio M. Fea, Michele Iester, Michele Figus, Antonio Ferreras, Teresa Rolle, Maurizio Digiuni, Valentina Battaglino, Luca M. Rossetti; Blindness And Glaucoma: A Multicenter Data Review. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2011;52(14):5052.

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      © ARVO (1962-2015); The Authors (2016-present)

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Abstract

Purpose: : To evaluate the prevalence and causes of blindness in patients followed in the Glaucoma Units of 8 European University Eye Clinics.

Methods: : 696 consecutive charts of patients who received diagnosis of glaucoma in at least only eye were evaluated. Blindness was diagnosed using WHO criteria: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA)<1/20 and/or visual field deterioration (VF) within 5 central degrees.

Results: : Monolateral blindness occurred in 150 cases (22%); bilateral blindness in 28 cases (4%); it was based on VF, VA, or VF+VA criteria respectively on 70%, 30, 45% of cases. Causes of blindness were POAG (32%), macular diseases (20%), ACG (12%), retinal vascular diseases (12%), retinal detachment (10%), myopia (6%), amblyopia (4%), endophthalmitis (4%). Blindness due to glaucoma (both POAG and ACG) was already present at first admission into study Glaucoma Units in 85% of cases, whereas 10 cases (15%) developed blindness in the course of follow-up. All these patients had very severe VF defects at presentation (range from -20 to -31 dB), received glaucoma surgery and maximum tolerated medical treatment and showed a VF slope of 1 dB per year.

Conclusions: : In European academic glaucoma clinics, blindness due to glaucoma is a very frequent problem and it is due to VF deterioration in most cases; late diagnosis and late referral still remain the two main factors associated with it.

Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence 
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