[Prevalence of glaucoma suspect in patients with central vein occlusion]

To prospectively study in a 10 year follow-up period the dynamics of the prevalence of the glaucoma suspect in patients with central retinal vein occlusion.

The study group consisted of 147 patients without diabetes who sustained a unilateral occlusion of the central retinal vein not treated by pan-retinal photocoagulation. As control group 100 age-matched patients belonging to the general population without central retinal vein occlusion and diabetes were used.

From an initial frequency of 10.8% the prevalence of the glaucoma suspect had a progressive elevation that hit the highest value of 20.4% in the 5 month following the onset of the occlusion. The decrease of the prevalence down to 4.7% by the end of the follow-up period was accounted for by the fact that in 9 cases a neovascular glaucoma occurred, in 6 cases the central retinal vein occlusion accompanied by glaucoma suspect developed toward an occlusion with normal intraocular pressure and in 8 patients the glaucoma suspect converted into a primary open-angle glaucoma. The prevalence of the glaucoma suspect in patients of the control group was low, ranging between 1 and 4%.

The central retinal vein occlusion influences the onset as well as the development of glaucoma suspect. Glaucoma suspect associated with the central retinal vein occlusion represents a risk factor for the occurrence of both the neovascular glaucoma and the primary open angle glaucoma.