Geographic Variation in the Use of Diagnostic Testing of Patients with Newly Diagnosed Open-Angle Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To determine the extent of geographic variation in the proportion of patients with newly diagnosed open-angle glaucoma (OAG) undergoing visual field (VF) testing, fundus photography (FP), and other ocular imaging (OOI) among patients residing in different US communities. DESIGN: Retrospective, longitudinal cohort study. PARTICIPANTS: All enrollees with newly diagnosed OAG enrolled in a managed care network between 2001 and 2014. METHODS: We identified all persons in the plan with incident OAG residing in 201 communities across the United States. All communities contributed ≥20 enrollees. The proportion of enrollees undergoing ≥1 VF test, FP, OOI, and no testing of any type in the 2 years after first OAG diagnosis was determined for each community, and comparisons were made to assess the extent of variation in use of diagnostic testing among patients residing in the different communities. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Receipt of VF testing, FP, OOI, or none of these tests in the 2 years after initial OAG diagnosis. RESULTS: Of the 56675 enrollees with newly diagnosed OAG, the mean proportion of patients undergoing VF testing within 2 years of initial diagnosis was 74%±7%, ranging from as low as 51% in Rochester, Minnesota, to as high as 95% in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The mean proportion undergoing OOI was 63%±10% and varied from 34% in Palm Springs/Rancho Mira, California, to 85% in Charleston, South Carolina. The mean proportion receiving FP was 26%±10% and ranged from as low as 3% in Fresno, California, to as high as 57% in Harlingen, Texas. The proportion undergoing no glaucoma testing ranged from 0% in Binghamton, New York, to as high as 35% in 2 other communities. CONCLUSIONS: In many US communities, a high proportion of patients are undergoing testing according to established practice guidelines. However, in several communities, less than 60% of patients with newly diagnosed OAG are undergoing VF testing in the 2 years after initial OAG diagnosis, and in a few communities >1 in 4 patients have no record of glaucoma diagnostic testing of any type. Additional research is needed to understand factors driving this variation in practice patterns and its impact on patient outcomes.

Survey of the incidence of pectinate ligament dysplasia and glaucoma in the UK Leonberger population.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence of pectinate ligament dysplasia (PLD) in UK Leonbergers and identify cases affected by glaucoma. Also, to define the spectrum of pectinate ligament (PL) appearance in this breed and determine whether gonioscopic monitoring should be recommended. ANIMALS STUDIED: Data were compiled from 78 prospective gonioscopy examinations performed by one author (GF) and retrospective analysis of 233 UK eye scheme certificates (2009-2014). Clinical cases of glaucoma in Leonbergers diagnosed by UK veterinary ophthalmologists, where gonioscopy of the fellow eyes or histology of affected eyes had been performed, were also reviewed. PROCEDURE: In the prospective study, intraocular pressure was recorded prior to gonioscopy using a rebound tonometer. Gonioscopy was performed using a slit-lamp biomicroscope with a Koeppe goniolens. PLD was categorized according to the percentage of the iridocorneal drainage angle affected (grade 0 = <25% affected; grade 1 = 25-50% affected; grade 2 = 51-75% affected; and grade 3 = >75% affected), and the degree of narrowing of the angle was noted. RESULTS: Of 78 dogs examined prospectively, 64/78 (82%) were grade 0, 7/78 (9%) were grade 1, 3/78 (4%) were grade 2, and 4/78 (5%) were grade 3. A large phenotypic variation was observed. Spearman's rank correlation showed a positive correlation between age and severity of PLD (P < 0.0055). 52 (22%) of Leonbergers examined under the UK eye scheme 2009-2014 were affected by PLD. Five clinical cases of glaucoma were reviewed where gonioscopy had been performed and one where histology was performed. All individuals had grade 3 PLD with gonioscopy of the contralateral eye or severe goniodysgenesis with histological sections of the affected eye. CONCLUSION: This survey suggests the prevalence of PLD is sufficient to justify ongoing screening of Leonbergers.

Intraobserver and interobserver agreement among anterior chamber angle evaluations using automated 360-degree gonio-photos.

PURPOSE: To investigate the reproducibility for the iridocorneal angle evaluations using the pictures obtained by a gonioscopic camera, Gonioscope GS-1 (Nidek Co., Gamagori, Japan). METHODS: The pragmatic within-patient comparative diagnostic evaluations for 140 GS-1 gonio-images obtained from 35 eyes of 35 patients at four ocular sectors (superior, temporal, inferior, and nasal angles) were conducted by five independent ophthalmologists including three glaucoma specialists in a masked fashion twice, 1 week apart. We undertook the observer agreement and correlation analyses of Scheie's angle width and pigmentation gradings and detection of peripheral anterior synechia and Sampaolesi line. RESULTS: The respective Fleiss' kappa values for the four elements between manual gonioscopy and automated gonioscope by the glaucoma specialist were 0.22, 0.40, 0.32 and 0.58. Additionally, the respective intraobserver agreements for the four elements by the glaucoma specialist each were 0.32 to 0.65, 0.24 to 0.71, 0.35 to 0.70, and 0.20 to 0.76; the Fleiss' kappa coefficients for the four elements among the three glaucoma specialists were, respectively, 0.31, 0.38, 0.31, and 0.17; the Fleiss' kappa coefficients for the angle width and pigmentation gradings between the two glaucoma specialists each were 0.30 to 0.35, and 0.29 to 0.43, respectively. Overall, the Kendall's tau coefficients for the angle gradings reflected the positive correlations in the evaluations. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggested slight-to-substantial intraobserver agreement and slight-to-fair (among the three) or fair-to-moderate (between the two each) interobserver agreement for the angle assessments using GS-1 gonio-photos even by glaucoma specialists. Sufficient training and a solid consensus should allow us to perform more reliable angle assessments using gonio-photos with high reproducibility.

Progression of Primary Angle Closure Suspect to Primary Angle Closure and Associated Risk Factors: The Handan Eye Study.

Purpose: To investigate the progression of angle closure from primary angle closure suspect (PACS) and associated risk factors over five years in rural Chinese adults. Methods: In this population-based cohort study, subjects aged ≥30 years old with unilateral or bilateral PACS at baseline of the Handan Eye Study who participated in the follow-up and had undergone baseline and follow-up gonioscopic examinations were included. The progression of angle closure was defined as the presence of primary angle closure (PAC)/primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) during the follow-up in subjects with PACS at baseline. Ocular data from the right eye were used for cases with bilateral PACS and unilateral PACS in the right eye at baseline. For those with unilateral PACS in the left eye at baseline, ocular data from the left eye were used. Demographic information, ocular conditions, personal history, and systemic comorbidities were compared between the progression and nonprogression groups. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the baseline risk factors for progression of angle closure. Results: In total, 526 subjects (111 male, 415 female) with baseline PACS were finally enrolled. The overall progression of PACS to angle closure was 32 cases (31 PAC, 1 PACG). Logistic regression analysis identified narrower mean angle width (P < 0.001) to be associated with the progression. Conclusions: We report the progression from baseline PACS to PAC/PACG after five years. And baseline mean angle width was determined to be independent predictive risk factor for the progression of angle closure.

Use of gonioscopy in medicare beneficiaries before glaucoma surgery.

PURPOSE: The American Academy of Ophthalmology Preferred Practice Patterns for angle closure and open-angle glaucoma (OAG) patients recommends performing bilateral gonioscopy upon initial presentation to evaluate the possibility of narrow angle or angle-closure glaucoma (ACG) and then repeating the examination at least every 5 years. This study aims to assess how commonly eye care providers perform gonioscopy before planned glaucoma surgery in OAG, anatomic narrow angle, and ACG in the Medicare population. METHODS: Data obtained from a 5% random sample of Medicare beneficiaries undergoing glaucoma surgery in the United States in 1999 were retrospectively reviewed. The proportion of patients with evidence of at least one gonioscopic examination before glaucoma surgery was determined for the period of 1995 to 1999. Demographic and clinical factors potentially influencing the decision to perform gonioscopy were also examined. RESULTS: Overall, gonioscopy is apparently performed in 49% of Medicare beneficiaries during the 4 to 5 years preceding glaucoma surgery. This rate was significantly lower (P < 0.001) in patients with OAG (46%), as compared with anatomic narrow angle (58%) and ACG (57%) patients. Hispanics, elderly (aged 70 to 84), patients undergoing laser iridotomy, and patients receiving care in the New York/New Jersey area all had significantly higher apparent preoperative gonioscopy rates (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Gonioscopy examination before glaucoma surgery in Medicare beneficiaries is underused, undercoded, and/or miscoded, given current recommendations. Underuse is of particular concern in patients undergoing laser iridotomy as it is the diagnostic test of choice in ACG.

Síndrome de Chandler / Chandler's syndrome

El síndrome de Chandler es una de las variaciones clínicas del síndrome iridocorneoendotelial, donde el denominador común es una alteración del endotelio corneal cuyo diagnóstico es, en ocasiones, muy difícil de realizar por la complejidad y la variabilidad de sus signos y síntomas. Se presenta una paciente de 67 años con disminución importante de la visión del ojo izquierdo. A la exploración existía un edema corneal severo, una midriasis pupilar, una corectopia leve hacia el sector temporal con tracción iridiana hacia el ángulo y sinequias anteriores angulares en el lado de la corectopia. La realización de un recuento endotelial demostró alteraciones cuali y cuantitativas del endotelio en el ojo izquierdo. Se concluyó que la microscopia especular es fundamental para el diagnóstico y la evaluación en casos sospechosos de síndrome de Chandler(AU)

Chandler's syndrome is a clinical variant of the iridocorneal endothelial syndrome in which the common aspect is the altered corneal endothelium that is sometimes very difficult to be diagnosed on account of the complexity and variability of signs and symptoms. This article was aimed at showing the effectiveness of specular microscopy for diagnosis. Here is a 67 years-old female patient who had significant reduction of vision in her left eye. On examination, there were observed severe corneal edema, pupillary mydriasis, mild corectopia towards the temporal sector with angled iridal traction and anterior angle synechias on the corectopia side. The endothelial counting revealed qualitative and quantitative alterations in the left eye. It was concluded that the specular microscopy is the key to diagnosis and assessment of suspected Chandler's syndrome cases(AU)

Frecuencia y clasificación del riesgo de glaucoma en la comuna de Florida VIII región / Frecuency and classification of glaucoma risk at Florida community, VIII region

Se examinaron 807 ojos de 404 pacientes que representan el 9,68 por ciento de la población mayor de 40 años de la comuna de Florida. Se practicó examen oftalmológico completo que incluía medición de la profundidad de la cámara anterior y gonioscopía a todos los pacientes. Del análisis de datos se descartaron 30 ojos, 2 por glaucoma y catarata, 10 casos de catarata densa y 2 leucomas que no permitieron evaluar el fondo de ojo. Además de 16 casos por examen incompleto debido a la mala cooperación de los pacientes, quedando un total de 777 casos (ojos). Un 3,60 por ciento presentó presiones de 26 mm de Hg o más; de ellos el 0.51 por ciento con gonoscopía de cierre angular; 3,09 por ciento con ángulos abiertos a la gonioscopía; de éstos, 1 caso de glaucoma pseudoexfoliativo (0,13 por ciento) y 4,64 por ciento con presiones entre 21 y 25 mmHg. En el 91,8 por ciento la presión se encontró entre 10 y 20 mmHg