Profile of Newly Referred Glaucoma Patients to the Largest Tertiary Eye Care Hospital in Saudi Arabia

Abstract Purpose: To report the profile of newly referred glaucoma patients to the largest tertiary eye care hospital in Saudi Arabia. Patients and Methods: Medical records of all Saudi nationals who presented with glaucoma to the Glaucoma Clinics at King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital (KKESH) as a first visit through the Eligibility Department, Screening Clinic or Emergency Department between March 2019 and August 2019 were reviewed. Patients underwent a comprehensive glaucoma workup and a detailed documentation of their demographics, clinical exam findings, type and stage of glaucoma at presentation along with previous and offered management. Upon presentation, the stage of glaucoma was compared between eyes with primary glaucoma including primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) and eyes with Secondary glaucoma. Results: A total of 532 patients newly presented to KKESH during the study period. The median (interquartile [IQR] range) age of the patients was 63 (17) years, 47.9% of the patients were female. The majority of referred cases came from Riyadh (46.6%), Najran (9.8%) and AlQassim (9.4%) provinces. PACG was the most predominant form of glaucoma (30.5%), followed by POAG. Pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PSXG) and neovascular glaucoma (NVG) were the most common subtypes among secondary glaucoma. Two out of every five eyes presenting with glaucoma (41.5%) had severe disease. Conclusion: In this tertiary setting, PACG was the most commonly encountered glaucoma. A significant proportion of the patients, particularly those with POAG (“the silent thief of sight”) presented with an advanced disease. To limit the irreversible visual loss and socio-economic burden of glaucoma, a large community-based study is required to look into the epidemiology of glaucoma among all Saudi provinces followed by the implementation of a national screening and intervention program.