[Pseudoexfoliation syndrome in Moroccan patients with cataract scheduled for sugery]

To evaluate the prevalence of pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES) in Moroccan patients with age-related cataract scheduled for surgery.

In a retrospective study, 837 consecutive eyes with age-related cataract scheduled for surgery were evaluated for the prevalence of PES, type of cataract, intraocular pressure (IOP) and operative complications.

Exfoliation material was detected in 82 patients (9.8 %). The mean age was 69.3 years with no sex predilection. The condition was unilateral in 44 cases (53.7%) and bilateral in 38 cases (46.3%). The prevalence of PES increased with age (p=0.02). Patients with hypermature cataract had significantly more PES (p <0.001). Mean IOP was significantly higher in eyes with PES (17.7 +/- 6.4 mmHg) than those without PES (14.3 +/- 2.9 mmHg) (p<0.001). Operative complications occurred more frequently in patients with PES: 14 (17 %) than in those without PES: 58 (6.9 %).

PES is a generalized degenerative fibrillopathy bound to age. The ethiopathogeny remains even unknown. The epidemiological data concerning the prevalence of the SPE in the African populations are scarce, and have not been published in Morocco, what motivated this study. Our study shows that this syndrome is common in Moroccan patients scheduled for cataract surgery with a prevalence of 9.8%. Its presence constitutes an important risk factor of primary open-angle glaucoma, and exposes more to peroperative complications at the time of surgery of cataract, independently of the technique used.

There is great variation in the prevalence of PES among people of different regions and ethnic groups, although many factors interfere in the comparative analysis of results, hence the interest to achieve other complementary epidemiological studies.