title: Comparison of primary open angle glaucoma patients in rural and urban Ghana.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the clinical features of glaucoma patients who present at a rural hospital in North Eastern Ghana and an urban hospital in the capital city of Accra.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a multi-center retrospective case series involving records of newly diagnosed glaucoma patients with emphasis on primary open angle glaucoma (POAG). Information collected included basic demographic data, intraocular pressures and optic disc measurements.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 949 patients (437 rural; 512 urban; 1868 eyes) were included. Rural vs. urban comparisons, respectively: mean age, 53.2 ± 16.3 vs. 54.5 ± 16.4 years; male: female ratio, 3:2 vs. 1:1; POAG, 78.1% vs. 50.6%; POAG suspect, 10.3% vs. 41.9%; IOP, 39.2 ± 7.1 vs. 31.8 ± 7.3 mmHg; bilateral blindness, 34.1% vs. 17.5%; uniocular blindness, 52.2% vs. 32.9%. Females at the rural hospital were twice as likely to present blind in at least one eye (OR 2.04, CI 1.36 - 3.07, p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with POAG at the rural hospital present with more advanced disease characteristics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Francis
authors.affiliation: Emmanuel Eye Centre, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Gyasi
authors.affiliation: Emmanuel Eye Centre, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Adjuik
authors.affiliation: Emmanuel Eye Centre, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kesse
authors.affiliation: Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.
authors.forename: Yifan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust, UK.
authors.forename: Rhys S R
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: Emmanuel Eye Centre, Accra, Ghana.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Kodjo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005869:Ghana / Q000453:epidemiology; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: Ghana; glaucoma; open angle; rural; urban