The burden of glaucoma in a tertiary hospital, Jos, Plateau State, North Central Nigeria
Keywords:
Glaucoma, late presentation, medical managementAbstract
Global glaucoma prevalence is projected to reach 111 million by 2040. In Nigeria, it remains the primary cause of irreversible blindness. Late presentation is often driven by the disease's asymptomatic, gradual onset, coupled with low public awareness and financial constraints. This study assessed the clinical presentation and management of glaucoma patients at a tertiary eye clinic. A retrospective, hospital-based descriptive study was conducted on 446 patients newly diagnosed with glaucoma between 2018 and 2019.The mean age of participants was 55.9 years, with a male-to-female ratio of approximately 1.5:1 (59.6% male). Patients over age 40 comprised 79.8% of the cohort. Alarmingly, 17.5% presented with bilateral blindness, and 35.2% of all eyes were blind at first presentation. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) was the predominant type (89.9%), followed by glaucoma suspects (5.6%), secondary glaucoma (2.7%), and primary angle-closure glaucoma (1.8%). Severe structural damage was evident, with 58.7% of eyes showing a vertical cup-to-disc ratio (VCDR)0.9, and 22.6% exhibiting VCDR asymmetry 0.2. Regarding management, 94.6% opted for medical therapy while only 1.5% underwent surgery. Beta-blockers (73.7%) and prostaglandin analogues (18.4%) were the primary medications prescribed. The study highlights a significant glaucoma burden characterized by advanced disease at presentation and a high prevalence of POAG. The findings underscore an urgent need for public enlightenment and subsidized screening programs to facilitate early detection and prevention of irreversible vision loss.
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