Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To determine the prevalence of pseudoexfoliation (pxs) in the Tamil population of Toronto. Methods: This is a population survey. We invited subjects above the age of 45 years through television, radio interviews in Tamil channels, contacted Tamil communities and placed newspaper advertisements about the research. A complete ocular examination was done including intra ocular pressure measurement using applanation tonometry in hospitals and community camps. Results: 511 patients (> 45 years) comprising 329 patients (45-65 years) and 182 patients (>65 years) were examined. All 21 Pxs positive patients were above 65 years old including 12 males and 9 females, 14 bilateral and 7 unilateral cases. Prevalence of Pxs was high in patients over 65 years at 11.5% and at 4.1% over 45 years. Prevalence of glaucoma was 29/511 patients (5.7%). All were open angle glaucoma. 10/29 glaucoma cases were pseudoexfoliative type (34.5%). Pseudoexfoliative glaucoma was found in 10/21 Pxs patients (47.6%). Conclusion: Pseudoexfoliation is high in the elderly Tamil population.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: pre