Blindness and Visual Impairment among Egyptian Glaucoma Patients

Purpose. Glaucoma is the second commonest cause of blindness worldwide. Visual fields and intraocular pressures are optimum outcomes to be assessed in developed countries. Visual acuity as an outcome is the key player when assessing blindness in developing countries. The aim of this study is to assess visual impairment and blindness in glaucoma patients and to identify the bulk they represent in comparison to nonglaucoma patients in the same practice setting. Methods. Patients attending outpatient clinics of Cairo University Hospitals were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Clinical data collected for these patients included their demographic data, best obtained visual acuity, and whether or not they have had an established diagnosis of glaucoma. Results were compared at 95% confidence intervals. Results. 988 eyes of 494 patients were included for this study. Their mean visual acuity was 6/24 (±3 Snellen lines). Legal blindness was found in 5% and 4% of glaucoma and nonglaucoma groups, respectively. There were high odds for finding eyes with total blindness due to glaucoma. That was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Conclusions. A large proportion of glaucoma patients suffered from blindness in at least one eye. Interventional strategies are recommended regarding visual disability among Egyptian glaucoma patients.