Profile of Glaucoma in the Eastern Region of Saudi Arabia: A Retrospective Study

BACKGROUND: Glaucomas remain asymptomatic until severe, indicating that the actual number of affected individuals may be higher than those diagnosed. OBJECTIVE: To study the clinical patterns of glaucoma cases in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted at King Fahd Hospital of the University, Al-Khobar, and Dhahran Eye Specialist Hospital, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. The medical records of all patients with glaucoma who visited these hospitals from January 2015 to December 2018 were critically reviewed. Data regarding patients' demographic characteristic, clinical data and their medical and surgical management techniques were collected and analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 999 patients were included, of which 52.9% were males, 94.8% were Saudi, and the mean age was 58.8 years. Bilateral involvement was observed in 82.3% of cases. Primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) was the most prevalent type of glaucoma (27.7%), followed by secondary glaucomas (26.7%), primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) (18.2%), primary congenital glaucoma (2.7%), and juvenile open-angle glaucoma (2.2%), which were the most frequent glaucoma subsets. CONCLUSION: The study population was most affected by POAG, secondary glaucomas and PACG. Knowledge regarding prevalence of glaucoma is important to plan services, allocate resources, and prevent blindness.