The prevalence and type of glaucoma in geriatric patients

A group of 100 institutionalized geriatric patients aged 69-94 years (mean 81.2 years) was studied at Koskela Helsinki Municipal Hospital. The selection of the patients was randomized by taking 100 patients having a birth-date divisible by five. Glaucoma occurred in 15% of the patients (14 women and one man). Six patients had bilateral primary open-angle glaucoma. One patient had capsular glaucoma in one eye and secondary glaucoma in the other eye. Eight patients had glaucoma only in one eye; three narrow-angle glaucoma, three primary open-angle glaucoma and two secondary glaucoma. Exfoliation occurred in 21 patients (26%, 21/80). Ten patients had bilateral exfoliation and 11 exfoliation only in one eye. IOP was measured in 75 patients, 150 eyes, with applanation tonometry, averaging 12.5 mmHg (SD 5.0), and in 22 patients, 44 eyes, with Schiötz tonometry, averaging 16.3 mmHg (SD 5.6). Visual acuity for long distance and also the reading acuity were greater than 0.3 in 66% (54/82).