Angle closure glaucoma: a cause for bilateral visual threat.

Glaucoma is one of the leading causes of blindness worldwide. Primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) is a leading cause ofblindness in East Asian people and known to cause bilateral blindness more frequently than other glaucoma. A retrospective study was thus undertaken to see the visual profile among these cases attending glaucoma unit. Total of 387 cases of angle closure glaucoma were seen in 3 years period. Out of these, 278 (71.8%) were females and 109 were males (28.2%). Among total cases, 61.5% had chronic angle closure glaucoma (CACG) and 38.5% had acute angle closure glaucoma (AACG) in one or both eyes. Bilateral angle closure attack was encountered simultaneously in 16 of the total acute angle closure cases accounting for 10.7%. Vision evaluation at the time of diagnosis among chronic angle closure glaucoma revealed blindness in 97 patients accounting for 20.4%. In acute glaucoma cases, after breaking the acute attack, the prevalence of blindness was found to be 8.9% out of total cases. Bilateral blindness was seen in 17.6% of total cases presented with either acute attack or chronic glaucoma. Mean intraocular pressure (IOP) was 32 mmHg (SD = 9.456) and 44 mmHg (8.67) in CACG and AACG respectively. Cataract was associated in 15.1% of CACG and 12.8% of AACG. Cataract related blindness was presumed to be present in only 4.1% cases of CACG and 14.3% of AACG cases who were blind. (p = < 0.001) Angle closure glaucoma is the frequent cause of bilateral blindness.

Leprosy blindness in Nepal.

Leprosy is a systemic disease with highest incidence of ocular complications and one of the important causes of blindness in the world. A comparative cross-sectional study was carried out to see the ocular involvement in leprosy leading to blindness in two groups of patients, one with the active disease and second already cured and thus released from treatment (RFT). Active cases attending Anandaban leprosy clinic, Patan hospital and RFT cases from Khokana leprosarium were included in the study consecutively. Total of 70 active cases and 101 RFT cases were evaluated during the study period. Active group of patients showed more of multibacillary type of disease than in RFT group. The prevalence of ocular manifestations was seen much higher among RFT cases accounting for 66.3% in contrast to active group where only 14.3% had ocular problems. Blindness was frequently seen in multibacillary (MB) leprosy patients in compare to paucibacillary (PB) disease in both the groups. However blindness frequency was seen more often among RFT cases accounting for 24% in compare to only 2.9% among active group. Causes of blindness were mainly corneal and cataract related disorders. Risk of blindness also increased with the increase in duration of illness. RFT group of leprosy patients are at higher risk of developing blindness than the active group thus eye care services should be more focused for this group. Having multibacillary type of disease could also be a risk for development of blindness.