Características clínico epidemiológicas y prevalencia de glaucoma crónico simple en la Fundación DONUM durante el período 2017-2019

Abstract

Background: The open-angle glaucoma is the leading cause of permanent and irreversible vision loss worldwide. This disease is defined as a progressive optic neuropathy that results in damage of the optic disk and visual field loss. Objective: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and risk factors for primary open angle glaucoma in DONUM foundation during 2017-2019. Methodology: The present study is descriptive, observational, retrospective crosssectional and was based in 122 patients who attended to DONUM foundation in Cuenca- Ecuador between 2017 to 2019. The information was collected from the clinical records who fulfilled all the inclusion criteria with a form performed by the authors. Prevalence rate was calculated in cases per 100 people. The results were presented using simple frequency tables and percentages. Results: The prevalence of open angle glaucoma was 4.60%, with higher prevalence in women than men, associated with a family history of glaucoma, mestizo ethnicity, hypertension and older age. It was found that 45.9% of patients came to the medical consultation asymptomatic, the most frequent comorbidity was high myopia, an alteration in the fundus was found in all patients and 27.7% of the population had a visual acuity less than 20/200; defined as blindness. Conclusions: Open angle glaucoma is more frequent in women from mestizo ethnicity, positive family history of glaucoma, and advanced age. Most of the patients are asymptomatic, which is related to a late diagnosis and worse visual prognosis.