The Effect of Medical Therapy on IOP Control in Ghana

ABSTRACT

Background: To investigate IOP control following twelve months of continuous medical therapy in Ghana. Methods: This retrospective case series included 163 glaucoma patients diagnosed at a referral eye center between 1996 and 2006. Information collected included age; gender; IOP at presentation; six months and one year post treatment and types of anti-glaucoma medications prescribed. Optimal IOP control was defined according to results from the Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study (AGIS); which demonstrated arrest of visual field progression in patients with IOP 18 mmHg at all visitations Level 1 (post-treatment IOP . 21 mmHg); Level 2 (. 18 mmHg) and level 3 (. 16 mmHg). The principal outcome measure was the achievement of IOP 18 mmHg at six months and twelve month visitations. Results: One hundred sixty three patients were analyzed. These included 68 males (41.7) and 95 females (58.3). The mean age was 57}16 (median 59 years; range 7 . 95 years). There was no significant difference in age (p