ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To study the prevalence of the systemic use of some common classes of medications by glaucoma patients and their relationship to the prevalence and severity of chronic open-angle glaucoma (COAG) and primary-angle closure glaucoma (PACG). DESIGN: Observational prospective single-centre cross-sectional study. METHODS: Glaucoma patients or their pharmacist provided an updated list of all systemic medications that they presently use. The relationship between glaucoma type and severity and medication use for diseases other than glaucoma was assessed by univariate statistics. RESULTS: We studied 514 glaucoma patients. They use a mean of 4.9 oral medications prescribed by a mean of 2.1 doctors. Antihypertensives, medications with anticholinergic properties, steroids, anticoagulants, and thyroid hormones were the most frequently prescribed groups of medications, used by 251 (49%), 178 (35%), 100 (19%), 218 (42%), and 108 (21%) patients, respectively. Steroid usage was associated with advanced visual field loss in COAG patients. Antihypertensives and medications with anticholinergic properties were not associated with severity of COAG and PACG, respectively, and these 3 groups were not associated with an increased prevalence of diagnosis of COAG or PACG. CONCLUSION: Glaucoma patients take many systemic medications in addition to their topical glaucoma treatment.
Subject(s)
Antihypertensive Agents/therapeutic use , Glaucoma/drug therapy , Intraocular Pressure/physiology , Visual Acuity , Visual Fields/physiology , Aged , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Glaucoma/physiopathology , Humans , Intraocular Pressure/drug effects , Male , Prospective Studies , Visual Fields/drug effectsABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Few cases of malignant tumors arising in a blind painful eye have previously been described. We described two cases of a blind painful eye containing an unsuspected tumor, which were enucleated to relieve the pain. CASE PRESENTATIONS: Case 1: A 57 year-old Caucasian man presented with recurrent orbital cellulitis and endophthalmitis in the left eye (OS). The OS was blind and painful and an enucleation was performed showing a uveal melanoma by histopathological exam. Case 2: A 54 year-old Caucasian man with previous history of a rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in his left eye presented a blind painful eye. Enucleation was performed revealing a well-differentiated B-cell lymphoma of uveal tract with extra ocular extension. CONCLUSION: In the management of a blind painful eye, it is extremely important to rule out an intraocular malignancy particularly in those patients who have not been followed by an ophthalmologist.