Association of glaucoma with neurodegenerative diseases with apoptotic cell death: Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
OBJECTIVE
To report a possible association of glaucoma with Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.


METHODS
Retrospective chart review (observational case series). The ophthalmologic charts of 49 patients with Alzheimer's disease and of 38 patients with Parkinson's disease were reviewed to determine the occurrence rate of glaucoma among these patients.


RESULTS
Glaucomatous visual field defects or cup-to-disk ratios of 0.8 or greater were recorded in 12 patients with Alzheimer's disease (24.5%) and in 9 patients with Parkinson's disease (23.7%).


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease may have an increased occurrence rate of glaucoma.
Bayer
Andreas U
AU
Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital of Weilheim-Schongau, Weilheim, Germany. andreasubayer@yahoo.de
Keller
Othmar N
ON
Ferrari
Francis
F
Maag
Klaus-Peter
KP
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D017209:Apoptosis; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000473:pathology; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000150:complications; D014794:Visual Fields