Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate risk factors for non–compliance with follow–up in an ethnically diverse group of patients diagnosed as normal tension glaucoma suspects.
Methods: :
We completed a retrospective chart review of patients identified as normal–tension glaucoma suspects from a database of optic disc photographs. The definition of normal–tension glaucoma suspect included 1) intraocular pressures less than or equal to 22 mmHg at time of diagnosis, allowing up to one intraocular pressure up to 24 mmHg in subsequent measurements and 2) cup–to–disc ratio more than or equal to 0.6 or asymmetry more than or equal to 0.2. Data obtained from patient charts included age, race, family history of glaucoma in first degree relatives, gender, systemic diseases, medications, spherical equivalent, visual acuity, disc hemorrhages, and visual field results.
Results: :
97 patients had at least 1 year of follow–up after diagnosis, while 66 patients were found to have less than one year of follow–up. Mean ± S.D. patient age was 52.6 ± 13.7 years, and 103 (63.2%) were female, 43 (26.4%) were non–white, and 16 (9.8%) were non–English speaking. Mean visual field mean deviation and pattern standard deviation were –1.79 and 2.96, respectively, and mean cup to disc ratio was 0.66. Mean age at diagnosis was significantly younger among those who did not follow–up (49.1 ± 14.2 versus 55.0 ± 12.9; P=0.006, 2–tail t–test). All other variables examined, including race, comorbidities, and primary language, were not found to be significantly different.
Conclusions: :
In this population, patients who did not follow up for suspicion of normal–tension glaucoma were significantly younger, but were not more likely to be non–English speaking or non–white.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: risk factor assessment • optic disc