Twelve-Year Incidence of Open-angle Glaucoma: The Thessaloniki Eye Study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to determine the 12-year incidence of open-angle glaucoma (OAG), with further classification into primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEXG), in an elderly White population. DESIGN: A longitudinal, population-based study in urban Northern Greece. PARTICIPANT: Surviving cohort of the 2554 Thessaloniki Eye Study subjects 60 years and above who had the baseline examination. METHODS: The surviving cohort was re-examined 12 years after baseline, using the same methodology and the same standard operating procedures as in the baseline examination. The definitions of glaucoma and pseudoexfoliation were consistent throughout the study. The 12-year incidences of OAG, POAG, and PEXG with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the whole study population, consisting of clinic-visit and home-visit participants. The population at risk was defined as those who did not meet the study criteria for the diagnosis of glaucoma in either eye at baseline. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Twelve-year incidence of OAG, with further classification into POAG and PEXG. RESULTS: Of 1468 eligible subjects in the surviving cohort, 1092 were examined (participation rate 74%). Mean age at baseline was 68.9±4.6 years. Mean follow-up time was 11.6±1.6 years. The 12-year incidence of OAG was 4.4% (95% CI: 3.3-5.8); 0.37% per year. In the overall population the incidence of POAG and PEXG was 2.1% (95% CI: 1.3-3.2) and 2.3% (95% CI: 1.5-3.4), respectively. The corresponding incidence proportions were 2.9 (95% CI: 1.8-4.3) in those without PEX and 8.9 (95% CI: 5.8-12.9) in those with PEX at baseline and/or incidence. The latter was strongly associated with higher odds for incident glaucoma (odds ratio=3.34, 95% CI: 1.83-6.08, P<0.001). Of all incident OAG cases, 11.1% (95% CI: 4.4-24) had baseline intraocular pressure >21 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence of OAG was similar or higher compared with other White populations. The incidence of glaucoma in those with PEX was higher compared with the incidence of glaucoma in those without PEX.

Overdiagnosis of open-angle glaucoma in the general population: the Thessaloniki Eye Study.

PURPOSE: To assess the overdiagnosis of open-angle glaucoma (OAG) and to investigate associated factors. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional, population-based study of an urban Caucasian population in northern Greece. Randomly selected subjects ≥60 years (n = 2554) participated in the Thessaloniki Eye Study. The definition of OAG required the presence of structural and functional damage, irrespective of intraocular pressure (IOP). Non-OAG subjects were classified as overdiagnosed with OAG if they had reported at least one of the following (self-reported glaucoma): (i) prior diagnosis of glaucoma, (ii) prior laser for glaucoma, (iii) prior glaucoma surgery. Factors associated with the overdiagnosis of OAG were investigated using a logistic regression model. RESULTS: Of 57 (2.2%) subjects with self-reported glaucoma, 34 (60%) were overdiagnosed with OAG, corresponding to a prevalence of 1.3% (34/2554). In a logistic regression model among non-OAG subjects, worse visual acuity (VA) (20/200 or worse versus 20/25 or better; odds ratio (OR) = 4.30, 95% Confidence Intervals (CI), 1.13-16.35), family history of glaucoma (OR = 8.69, 95% CI, 2.83-26.67) and history of cataract surgery (OR = 11.50, 95% CI, 3.85-34.36) were statistically significantly associated with the overdiagnosis of OAG. Age, sex, higher IOP, higher vertical cup-to-disc ratio and pseudoexfoliation were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: The overdiagnosis of OAG was substantial in this elderly, Caucasian population. The overdiagnosis of glaucoma has not been previously addressed in population-based studies and needs to be further explored.

Tolerable rates of visual field progression in a population-based sample of patients with glaucoma.

AIMS: To provide population-based data on the maximum tolerable rate of progression to avoid visual impairment (maxTRoP_VI) and blindness (maxTRoP_BL) from open-angle glaucoma (OAG). METHODS: Participants with OAG in the Thessaloniki Eye Study (cross-sectional, population-based study in a European population) were included in the analysis. Visual impairment was defined as mean deviation (MD) equal to or worse than -12dB and blindness as MD equal to or worse than -24dB. Additional thresholds for visual impairment were tested. For each participant maxTRoP_VI was defined as the rate of progression which would not lead to visual impairment during expected lifetime. MaxTRoP_BL was defined accordingly. Both parameters were calculated for each OAG subject using age, sex, MD and life expectancy data. The eye with the better MD per subject was included in the analysis. RESULTS: Among 135 subjects with OAG, 123 had reliable visual fields and were included in the analysis. The mean age was 73±6 years and the median MD was -3.65±5.28dB. Among those, 69.1% would have a maxTRoP_VI slower than -1dB/year and 18.7% would have a maxTRoP_VI between -1 and -2dB/year. Also, 72.4% would have a maxTRoP_BL slower than -2dB/year. For all tested thresholds for visual impairment, approximately 86% of the OAG study participants would not be able to tolerate a rate of progression equal to or faster than -2dB/year. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of patients with glaucoma in our study would have a maximum tolerable rate of progression slower than -1dB/year in their better eye. Patient-tailored strategies to monitor the visual field are important, but raise the issue of feasibility with regard to the number of visual field tests needed.

Foveomacular retinitis and associated optical coherence tomography findings.

A 45-year-old man presented with clinical manifestations of foveomacular retinitis, including visual symptoms and foveal lesions characteristic of solar retinopathy, but repeated questions failed to elicit a history of sun gazing. Cross-sectional retinal images produced by optical coherence tomography revealed localized loss of retinal pigment epithelium cells in both eyes. A different pattern of reflectivity at the level of the photoreceptor layer was observed between the right and left eye, reflecting asymmetry in tissue damage. This case is described to provide additional evidence that solar retinopathy and foveomacular retinitis are the same entity and may also have common optical coherence tomography findings.