title: Exfoliation syndrome in Estonian patients scheduled for cataract surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the frequency of exfoliation syndrome (XFS) in Estonian patients scheduled for cataract surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A series of 305 patients (mean age 71.5 +/- 8.6 years) scheduled for cataract surgery were examined for the presence of exfoliation syndrome, predominant type of lens opacification and intraocular pressure (IOP).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Exfoliation material was detected in 108 (35.4%) patients, of whom 51 (47.2%) were bilaterally and 57 (52.8%) were unilaterally affected. In the bilaterally phakic patients exfoliation material was detected in 92 (30.2%) patients, of whom 51 (55.4%) were bilaterally and 41 (44.6%) were unilaterally affected. Intraocular pressure was higher in eyes with exfoliation than in eyes without it (19.2 +/- 6.5 mmHg and 17.1 +/- 3.8 mmHg, respectively; p = 0.006). Nuclear sclerosis predominated in eyes with XFS compared to those without XFS (57.6% and 36.9%, respectively). Cortical (7.6%) and subcapsular (7.6%) cataracts were less common in eyes with XFS than in eyes without XFS (16.9% and 20.2%, respectively). Mature cataract was found in 41.3% of all mixed types of cataracts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exfoliation syndrome is common in Estonian patients. It was detected in 35.4% of the patients scheduled for cataract surgery.
authors.affiliation: Eye Clinic of Tartu University Clinics, Estonia. Kuldar.Kaljurand@kliinik.ee
authors.forename: Kuldar
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaljurand
authors.forename: Päivi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002386:Cataract / Q000453:epidemiology; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004957:Estonia / Q000453:epidemiology; D017889:Exfoliation Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies