title: Visual disability in newly diagnosed primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) patients in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Glaucoma remains the second leading cause of blindness worldwide and the highes cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. In N Glaucoma accounts for 16% of blindness and primary open angle glaucoma is the most prevalent clinical type.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to assess the visual disability resulting from glaucoma in newly diagnosed POAG patients in University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a retrospective study of newly diagnosed glaucoma patients referred from the general ophthalmology clinic to the glaucoma clinic over a 12 month period (January-December 2010). All patients had a glaucoma workup includin Snellen distant visual acuity, slit lamp examination, Goldman applanation tonometry, gonioscopy, dilated fundoscopy with +78 diopter lens as well as perimetry. All examinations were carried out by both authors. Patients with other co-morbidities such as cataract and retinal/macular pathologies were excluded from the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 98 patients were reviewed. The were 34 males and 27 females, giving a male to female ratio of 1.3:1. The average age was 54.2 years and most patients (>80%) were in the 40-59 year age group. Of the 98 patients reviewed, 62.2% had POAG. 30 patients were-blind by distant visual acuity criteria while 45 patients were blind by central visual field criteria.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  POAG is the most prevalent clinical subtype of glaucoma in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa Paucity of symptoms in early stages of the disease at late presentation is a characteristic finding in our clinic environment. Our study showed that POAG in our environment is associated with marked visual disability at the time of presentation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital, Port Harcourt, Nigeria. awoyeliz@yahoo.com
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Awoyesuku
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Ejimadu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*