WORLD VIEW

Prevalence of glaucoma in Thailand: a population based survey in Rom Klao District, Bangkok

R R A Bourne¹, P Sukudom², P J Foster¹, V Tantisevi², S Jitapunkul³, P S Lee¹, G J Johnson¹ and P Rojanapongpun²

Series editors: W V Good, S Ruit

¹ Department of Epidemiology and International Eye Health, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London, UK
² Department of Ophthalmology, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
³ Department of Geriatric Medicine, Division of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Rupert Bourne, Department of Epidemiology and International Eye Health, Institute of Ophthalmology, 11-43 Bath Street, London EC1V 5EL, UK;
rupert_bourne{at}hotmail.com

Aim: To determine prevalence, demography, mechanism, and visual morbidity of glaucoma in urban Thai people.

Methods: 790 subjects aged 50 years or older from Rom Klao district, Bangkok, Thailand, were enumerated in a population based cross sectional study. Each subject underwent the following investigations: visual acuity, visual field testing, slit lamp examination, applanation tonometry, gonioscopy, and an optic disc examination after mydriasis. Main outcome measures included visual acuity (logMAR), visual fields, intraocular pressure (IOP), gonioscopic characteristics, vertical cup/disc ratio (VCDR), prevalence of types of glaucoma. Glaucoma was diagnosed on the basis of optic disc appearance and visual field defects. In eyes in which the optic disc could not be examined, glaucoma was diagnosed when visual acuity was <3/60 and either IOP >99.5th percentile or there was evidence of previous glaucoma surgery.

Results: 701 subjects were examined (response rate 88.7%). In eyes with "normal" suprathreshold visual fields, the mean IOP was 13.3 mm Hg (97.5th percentile = 20 mm Hg). The 97.5th and 99.5th percentiles of VCDR were 0.72 and 0.86 respectively. Of the 701 subjects examined in the clinic, 27 had glaucoma (3.8%, 95% CI: 2.5 to 5.6), 16 had primary open angle glaucoma (POAG, prevalence 2.3%, 95% CI: 1.3 to 3.7), six were primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG, prevalence 0.9%, 95% CI: 0.3 to 1.9), and five were secondary glaucoma (SecG, prevalence 0.7%, 95% CI: 0.2 to 1.7). Among the 43 unilaterally blind subjects, glaucoma was the cause in five subjects (12%). One subject was bilaterally blind due to glaucoma (prevalence 11%, 95% CI: 0.3 to 61.9). 28 people (4%) were glaucoma suspects on the basis of optic disc appearance and six on the basis of visual fields only. 98 subjects (14%) had "occludable angles" in either eye, 22 of whom had primary angle closure (PAC, prevalence 3.1%, 95% CI: 1.9 to 4.7); 14 had peripheral anterior synechiae in either eye and eight had ocular hypertension (OHT).

Conclusions: POAG accounted for 67% of all glaucoma, PACG 21%, and secondary glaucomas 12%. Glaucoma was the second most common cause of severe unilateral visual loss.

Keywords: glaucoma; Thailand

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Kawase, K, Tomidokoro, A, Araie, M, Iwase, A, Yamamoto, T, Tajimi Study Group, , Japan Glaucoma Society, (2008). Ocular and systemic factors related to intraocular pressure in Japanese adults: the Tajimi study. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 92: 1175-1179 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bourne, R R A, Foster, P J, Bunce, C, Peto, T, Hitchings, R A, Khaw, P T, Seah, S K L, Garway-Heath, D F (2008). The morphology of the optic nerve head in the Singaporean Chinese population (the Tanjong Pagar study): part 1--optic nerve head morphology. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 92: 303-309 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sakata, K., Sakata, L. M., Sakata, V. M., Santini, C., Hopker, L. M., Bernardes, R., Yabumoto, C., Moreira, A. T. R. (2007). Prevalence of Glaucoma in a South Brazilian Population: Projeto Glaucoma. IOVS 48: 4974-4979 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wang, Y. X., Xu, L., Zhang, R. X., Jonas, J. B. (2007). Frequency-Doubling Threshold Perimetry in Predicting Glaucoma in a Population-Based Study: The Beijing Eye Study. Arch Ophthalmol 125: 1402-1406 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Nolan, W. P (2007). Prevention of primary angle-closure glaucoma in Asia. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 91: 847-848 [Full Text]  
• Casson, R J, Newland, H S, Muecke, J, McGovern, S, Abraham, L M, Shein, W K, Selva, D, Aung, T (2007). Gonioscopy findings and prevalence of occludable angles in a Burmese population: the Meiktila Eye Study. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 91: 856-859 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Casson, R J, Newland, H S, Muecke, J, McGovern, S, Abraham, L, Shein, W K, Selva, D, Aung, T (2007). Prevalence of glaucoma in rural Myanmar: the Meiktila Eye Study. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 91: 710-714 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rudnicka, A. R., Mt-Isa, S., Owen, C. G., Cook, D. G., Ashby, D. (2006). Variations in Primary Open-Angle Glaucoma Prevalence by Age, Gender, and Race: A Bayesian Meta-Analysis.. IOVS 47: 4254-4261 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Huynh, S. C., Wang, X. Y., Rochtchina, E., Crowston, J. G., Mitchell, P. (2006). Distribution of Optic Disc Parameters Measured by OCT: Findings from a Population-Based Study of 6-Year-Old Australian Children.. IOVS 47: 3276-3285 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wong, T Y, Loon, S-C, Saw, S-M (2006). The epidemiology of age related eye diseases in Asia.. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 90: 506-511 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vijaya, L., George, R., Arvind, H., Baskaran, M., Paul, P. G., Ramesh, S. V., Raju, P., Kumaramanickavel, G., McCarty, C. (2006). Prevalence of angle-closure disease in a rural southern Indian population.. Arch Ophthalmol 124: 403-409 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Quigley, H A, Broman, A T (2006). The number of people with glaucoma worldwide in 2010 and 2020.. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 90: 262-267 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Bourne, R R, Alsbirk, P H (2006). Anterior chamber depth measurement by optical pachymetry: systematic difference using the Haag-Streit attachments. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 90: 142-145 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Zhang, M, Chen, J, Liang, L, Laties, A M, Liu, Z (2006). Ultrasound biomicroscopy of Chinese eyes with iridocorneal endothelial syndrome. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 90: 64-69 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Vijaya, L., George, R., Paul, P. G., Baskaran, M., Arvind, H., Raju, P., Ramesh, S. V., Kumaramanickavel, G., McCarty, C. (2005). Prevalence of Open-Angle Glaucoma in a Rural South Indian Population. IOVS 46: 4461-4467 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Arvind, H, George, R, Raju, P, Ramesh, S V, Baskaran, M, Paul, P G, McCarty, C, Vijaya, L (2005). Glaucoma in aphakia and pseudophakia in the Chennai Glaucoma Study. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 89: 699-703 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kuper, H, Gilbert, C (2005). Epidemiology for ophthalmologists: an introduction to concepts, study designs, and interpreting findings. Br. J. Ophthalmol. 89: 378-384 [Abstract] [Full Text]