Clinical and epidemiological characterization of primary open angle glaucoma in a health area

Abstract

Introduction: glaucoma is a chronic progressive optic neuropathy that causes irreversible blindness. Early and timely diagnosis is of vital importance to achieve slower progression and better control of the disease.

Objective: to characterize some epidemiological variables in patients with a diagnosis of primary open-angle glaucoma, seen in the Ophthalmology consultation in the health area of the “Carlos Montalván” Teaching Polyclinic, in Palma Soriano from January to June 2020.

Methods: from a universe of 281 glaucomatous patients seen in consultation in the indicated period. It worked with a sample of 231 patients who met the inclusion criteria. The following variables were collected: age, sex, visual acuity (best-corrected vision), intraocular pressure, personal and family ocular pathological history, as well as visual field alterations.

Results: the majority of patients were male and over 61 years of age. Best-corrected visual acuity with good results ranged from 1.0 to 0.7 and intraocular pressure behaved within normal limits in most patients. Patients without a history of associated ocular disease prevailed and Bjerrum's scotoma predominated as a visual field defect.

Conclusions: the study corroborates that primary open angle glaucoma is a health problem in the health area of the “Carlos Montalván” Teaching Polyclinic, in Palma Soriano and the main action is early care and treatment to avoid irreversible deterioration of the vision