Glaucoma Diagnoses and Legal Blindness from Glaucoma among Bedouin Patients of Central Saudi Arabia: A Hospital-Based Study

PURPOSE: The current study aims to know the glaucoma diagnoses and legal blindness from glaucoma among a tertiary referral center in Riyadh (King Abdulaziz Medical City [KAMC]-Riyadh patients). METHODS: This is a retrospective cohort study on chart review, where all eligible glaucoma patients attending the ophthalmology clinic at KAMC-Riyadh, between 2018 and 2019; were included. RESULTS: A total of 248 patients were included in the study; 142 patients (57.3%) were females and 106 (42.7%) were males. The mean age of the patients was 62.2 ± 18 years and most of them (93.5%) did not have a family history of glaucoma. Nearly one-quarter (26.6%; n = 66) of the included patients were legally blind, out of those, 36.4% had their right eye affected, 34.8% had their left eye affected, and 28.8% had both eyes affected. Legally, blind patients (LBGs) did not show a statistically significant reduction in the intraocular pressure (IOP) in the right eye (P = 0.103), on comparing the IOP in both visits. Nevertheless, there was a statistically significant reduction in the IOP of the left eye among the LBGs in both visits (P = 0.016). Regarding the nonblind group of patients, there were highly statistically significant reductions in both eyes (P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The present findings show a high prevalence rate of legal blindness among glaucoma patients, with IOP reduction, age, and glaucoma diagnoses being the most important predictors among the study population.