Glaucoma suspects referred by general ophthalmologists to a tertiary center in Brazil: outcomes of the glaucoma specialist assessment / Suspeitos de glaucoma encaminhados do oftalmologista geral para um centro terciário no Brasil: resultados da avaliação do especialista em glaucoma

ABSTRACT Purpose: To characterize patients with suspected glaucoma who were referred to the clinic for suspected glaucoma in a tertiary public hospital in southern Brazil and to evaluate differences in functional and structural damages between patients diagnosed with different types of glaucoma, those with normal eye examination results, and those who remained as glaucoma suspects. Methods: This is a cohort study of patients referred by general ophthalmologists to the clinic for suspected glaucoma at Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Porto Alegre, Brazil, between March 2016 and December 2018. The patients were followed up until they had undergone reliable examinations (eye examination, visual field screening, and optic coherence tomography for classification as normal and having a suspected glaucoma, glaucoma with an elevated intraocular pressure, normotensive glaucoma, or ocular hypertension. Results: A total of 135 patients were included in this study. Of the patients, 117 subjects completed all examinations and met the inclusion criteria. Most patients were normal (36.8%), followed by those with suspected glaucoma (25.64%), normal tension glaucoma (18.8%), glaucoma with elevated intraocular pressure (12%), and ocular hypertensive (6%). The main reason for referral was increased optic nerve head cupping. The patients with normal tension glaucoma were older than the other subjects on average (p=0.03). In addition, the normal tension glaucoma group had a significantly worse baseline visual field index and mean deviation of the visual field than the normal, glaucoma suspect, and ocular hypertensive groups. The circumpapillary retinal nerve fiber layer on OCT was thinner on average in the normal tension glaucoma group than in the normal and glaucoma suspect groups (p<0.002) but did not significantly differ between the glaucoma group with elevated intraocular pressure and the other groups. Conclusions: Patients with normal tension glaucoma tend to be diagnosed later because of their normal intraocular pressures; thus, the optic nerve cupping must be greater to raise the suspicion of glaucoma. In this study, we found that the patients with normal tension glaucoma had worse disease at the time of diagnosis.

RESUMO Objetivo: Caracterizar a população com suspeita de glaucoma encaminhada a um centro público terciário no sul do Brasil e avaliar diferenças no dano dos parâmetros funcionais e estruturais entre os pacientes diagnosticados com diferentes tipos de glaucoma e aqueles classificados como normais e aqueles mantidos como suspeitos de glaucoma. Métodos: Esta é uma coorte dos pacientes encaminhados para o setor de glaucoma suspeito do Hospital Nossa Senhora da Conceição, Porto Alegre - BR, no período de março de 2016 a dezembro de 2018. Os pacientes foram acompanhados até obterem exames confiáveis (exame oftalmológico completo, campimetria visual, tomografia de coerência óptica) para serem classificados como: normal, glaucoma suspeito, glaucoma com pressão intraocular elevada, glaucoma de pressão normal ou hipertenso ocular. Resultados: Um total de 135 pacientes foram incluídos neste estudo, sendo que destes, 117 pacientes completaram todos os exames e foram incluídos neste estudo. A maioria dos pacientes foi considerada normal (36,8%), seguido por glaucoma suspeito (25,64%), glaucoma de pressão normal (18,8%), glaucoma com pressão intraocular elevada (12%) e hipertensão ocular (6%). A principal razão para encaminhamento foi escavação do nervo óptico aumentada. Pacientes com glaucoma de pressão normal eram em média mais velhos que os demais (p=0,03). Esses também apresentavam índice de campo visual e desvio médio da campimetria visual piores que sujeitos normal, com suspeita de glaucoma e hipertensos oculares, e tinham a camada de fibra nervosa medida pela tomografia de coerência óptica mais fina que normais e suspeitos de glaucoma (p<0,002). Os pacientes com glaucoma de pressão elevada não diferiram significativamente dos outros grupos. Conclusão: Pacientes com glaucoma de pressão normal tendem a ser diagnosticados mais tardiamente devido ao fato da pressão intraocular não estar elevada, logo a escavação do disco óptico deve ser maior para gerar a suspeita de glaucoma. Neste estudo, paciente com glaucoma de pressão normal apresentaram doença mais avançada no momento do diagnóstico em comparação com os outros grupos.

Comparison of macular vessel density changes in early primary open-angle glaucoma with central visual field defects and peripheral visual field defects / 中华实验眼科杂志

Objective:To compare the change of macular microvasculature in early primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) patients with central visual field defects (CVFDs) and peripheral visual field defects (PVFDs).Methods:A cross-sectional study was performed.Sixty-six eyes of 66 consecutive patients with early POAG were enrolled in Beijing Tongren Hospital from June to December 2020.The patients were divided into CVFDs group (25 eyes) and PVFDs group (41 eyes) according to their visual field defect.Another 55 eyes of 55 age-, gender- and spherical equivalent-matched healthy people were set as a normal control group.All subjects underwent routine ophthalmic examination.Humphrey 24-2 visual field test was carried out.Macular vessel density (VD) and perfusion density (PD) of an area of 6 mm×6 mm were measured by optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA), and the area was divided into 3 rings and 9 zones, including center, inner ring (superior, inferior, temporal and nasal sectors), and outer ring (superior, inferior, temporal and nasal sectors) according to ETDRS ring.The relationship among VD, PD, and visual field defect was analyzed.This study adhered to the Declaration of Helsinki.The research protocol was approved by an Ethics Committee of Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University (No.TRECKY2020-103). Written informed consent was obtained from each subject before any examination.Results:The total macular VD of normal control group, CVFDs group and PVFDs group was 18.20 (17.50, 18.50), 17.10 (16.30, 17.85), and 17.20 (16.25, 17.90)mm/mm 2, respectively, and there was a significant difference ( H=20.84; P<0.001). The total macular PD of normal control group, CVFDs group and PVFDs group was 0.45 (0.43, 0.46), 0.42 (0.40, 0.44), and 0.43 (0.40, 0.44)mm 2/mm 2, respectively, with a significant difference ( H=16.15; P<0.001). The total macular VD and PD of CVFDs and PVFDs groups were significantly lower than those of normal control group, with statistically significant differences (all at P<0.05). Significant differences were found in VD and PD of superior, inferior, temporal, and nasal sectors of the outer ring among three groups (all at P<0.05). VD of the outer ring and PD of superior, inferior, and nasal sectors of the outer ring were reduced in CVFDs group than normal control group, showing significant differences (all at P<0.05). VD and PD of the superior, inferior, and temporal sectors of the outer ring were reduced in PVFDs group compared with normal control group, with significant differences (all at P<0.05). A significant difference was found in macular PD of the outer-nasal sector between CVFDs and PVFDs groups ( P=0.035). Conclusions:Macular VD and PD are reduced in early POAG.Compared with POAG patients with CVFDs, the macular PD of the outer-nasal sector of POAG patients with CVFDs is lower.

The time relationship of retinal light threshold fluctuations and retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell complex thickness changes on high-risk primary open-angle glaucoma / 中华眼底病杂志

Objective To investigate the time relationship of the change,and diagnostic accuracy and sensitivity between retinal light threshold fluctuations (LTF) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex(GCC) thickness on high-risk primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG).Methods Totally 319 patients (319 eyes) with high-risk in POAG from the First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical Universityand during December 2009 and December 2017,50 healthy individuals (50 eyes) as control were collected in this longitudinal cohort study.Visual field and OCT were reviewed every 6 months on the high-risk group and every 12 months on the control group.High-risk groups inclusion criteria:vertical C/D≥0.6;early visual field defect (according to glaucoma visual field damage GSS2 quantitative grading standards,mean deviation and pattern standard deviation of central field exceeds the border as an early visual field defect);continuous repeatable results.The first field and OCT results in the absence of visual field defects and C/D≥0.6,which were conformed reliability indicators and removed learning effects as a baseline.When patients achieve POAG diagnosis criteria first time which was recorded as a turning point.And they were divided into early group meanwhile were ended of follow-up.After the last follow-up,the inspection data was segmented counted in yearly interval.The changes of LTF,thickness of RNFL and GCC during the follow-up period in the early POAG group and the control group were observed.The loss rate and change rate in each period were compared for the assessment of their trends with time.Followed by calculation of the area under receiver operating curves (AUC) to compare the predicted value of POAG and the sensitivity at 95％ specificity in each period.Results After last follow-up,totally 67 patients 67 eyes (early POAG group,37 males and 30 females) were entered the turning point.The mean follow-up of the early POAG group and the control group were 6.6 and 6.4 years.The average RNFL thickness was 79.05± 8.09 μm,GCC thickness was 71.58 ± 8.41 μm,LTF was -6.05 ± 7.02 dB in early POAG group.The average RNFL thickness was 93.49± 6.24 μrm,GCC thickness was 79.72± 6.32 μm,LTF was-0.31 ± 0.58 dB in the control group.The differences of LTF and the thickness of RNFL and GCC were statistically significant (t=-5.97,-10.42,-5.60;P＜0.001).The AUC of RNFL,GCC thickness and LTF increased with time in the early POAG group.The sensitivity was gradually increased at 95％ specificity:5th year before to at turning point,RNFL thickness AUC was 0.15,0.65,0.71,0.77,0.85,0.92,and sensitivity was 20％,56％,61％,65％,70％,76％,respectively;GCC thickness AUC was 0.12,0.53,0.69,0.74,0.82,0.90,and sensitivity was 14％,53％,69％,74％,82％,90％,respectively;the AUC of LTF was 0.10,0.21,0.33,0.75,0.86,0.91,and sensitivity was 7％,17％,44％,65％,78％,87％,respectively.Conclusions The earliest time of structural functional damage of POAG is at the 4th year before confirmed,simultaneous RNFL diagnosis accuracy and sensitivity are better than GCC and LTF.The earliest time of visual functional damage of POAG is at the 2th year before confirmed,simultaneous LTF diagnosis accuracy and sensitivity are better than RNFL and GCC.

Nível de conhecimento sobre glaucoma primário de ângulo aberto entre os estudantes de medicina / Knowledge about primary open angle glaucoma among medical students

Objetivo: Avaliar o conhecimento dos alunos de graduação do curso de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Juiz de Fora em relação ao glaucoma primário de ângulo aberto. Métodos: Neste estudo transversal, aplicou-se aos alunos dos 5º e 6º ano um questionário contendo 11 questões referentes a epidemiologia, fatores de risco, sintomas, diagnóstico, tratamento, consequências do glaucoma e por último se consideram os conhecimentos adquiridos na universidade como suficientes. Características dos alunos (idade, sexo, especialidade pretendida) foram identificadas. Resultados: Entre os estudantes, 52,9% eram mulheres. A origem genética da doença foi identificada por 22,5%. Quase a metade (46,1%) não sabia que o glaucoma na maioria das vezes é assintomático. Aproximadamente 1 em cada 3 alunos não sabia que a cegueira do glaucoma era irreversível. A grande maioria (91,2%) identificou corretamente que a tonometria era um exame importante na avaliação do glaucoma e que o tratamento poderia ser clínico (70,6%) ou cirúrgico (71,6%). Porém, poucos alunos deram a real importância para os exames de fundoscopia (35,3%) e campimetria (28,7%). Quase a totalidade (95,1%) dos entrevistados considerou o próprio conhecimento como insuficiente. Conclusão: A maioria dos entrevistados acha que o conhecimento sobre glaucoma primário de ângulo aberto adquirido na graduação é insuficiente. Tal desconhecimento pode levar a oportunidades de diagnóstico perdidas e gerar consequências graves tanto do ponto de vista individual (cegueira) quanto do ponto de vista coletivo (impacto para o sistema de saúde e sociedade). .

Objective: To assess the knowledge of primary open-angle glaucoma among medical students from Federal University of Juiz de Fora. Methods: In this cross sectional study, we conducted a survey among students attending the last two years of Medical School. The questionnaire consisted in 11 questions about epidemiology, risk factors, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and primary openangle glaucoma (POAG) consequences. The students were also asked if they considered their knowledge about POAG sufficient. Students’ characteristics (age, sex and intended area of specialization) were identified. Results: Women comprised 52.9% of the students. Only 22.5% identified POAG as having a genetic origin. Almost half of them (46.1%) did not know that POAG is asymptomatic and 1 out of 3 students did not know that glaucoma blindness is irreversible. The great majority (91.2%) correctly identified tonometry as an important tool for diagnosis and that glaucoma can be treated through medications (70.6%) or surgery (71.6%). However, few students identified fundoscopy (35.3%) and perimetry (28.7%) as important tools for glaucoma assessment. Almost everyone (95.1%) considered their knowledge insufficient. Conclusion: The majority of the participants believe that their knowledge of POAG is insufficient. This gap can lead to some serious consequences from both individual (blindness) and collective (negative impact in health system and society) perspectives. .