Pediatric glaucoma suspects

PURPOSE: To report demographic and ocular features of pediatric glaucoma suspects in an ethnically diverse population of North Central Texas. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional chart review. PARTICIPANTS: Subjects included 75 (136 eyes) pediatric glaucoma suspects. Patients with one or more of the following risk factors were included: cup-to disc (C/D) ratio of ≥0.6; intraocular pressure (IOP) ≥21 mmHg; family history of glaucoma; congenital glaucoma in the opposite eye; history of blunt trauma to either eye; and presence of either Sturge-Weber or Axenfeld–Rieger syndrome, or oculodermal melanocytosis. METHODS: Data were extracted from electronic patient medical records. Patient records with incomplete data were excluded. The main outcome measures were race, sex, age, IOP, C/D, family history of glaucoma; and glaucoma treatment. RESULTS: Subjects included 28 (37.3%) Hispanics, 20 (26.6%) African Americans, 20 (26.6%) Caucasians, and seven (9.3%) Asians. Forty (53.3%) of the patients were male. Suspicious optic disc was seen in 57 (76%); elevated IOP in 25 (33.3%); presence of family history in 13 (17.3%), and Sturge–Weber syndrome in nine (12%) patients. The average C/D ratio was 0.58±0.2. The C/D ratios of African American (0.65±0.2), Hispanic (0.63±0.2), and Asian (0.62±0.15) patients were significantly greater than those of Caucasians (0.43±0.18; P=0.0004, 0.0003, and 0.0139, respectively). Caucasian patients were the youngest (7.9±4.8 years). Eleven cases (14.7%) required medication. CONCLUSION: Thirty-three point seven percent of patients seen in the glaucoma clinic were glaucoma suspects. The most common risk factors for suspected glaucoma were suspicious optic discs, elevated IOP, and family history of glaucoma. Most patients required only close observation. Long-term follow-up of these patients is warranted to determine the mechanisms of conversion to glaucoma.