Referral reasons for evaluating childhood glaucoma in a tertiary service

To report the distribution of referral reasons for children from a pediatric glaucoma outpatient clinic in a tertiary eye care service.

The medical records of patients aged <18 years who were referred to a pediatric glaucoma center in the city of São Paulo, Brazil, between 2012 and 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. The data collected included the referral reasons, age, hospital of origin, and who detected the ocular alteration. For defining the diagnosis, the Childhood Glaucoma Research Network classification was used.

Five hundred sixty-three eyes of 328 patients were included in the study. Glaucoma diagnosis was confirmed in 162 children (49%). In 83 patients (25%), the glaucoma diagnosis was ruled out, and 83 (25%) continued outpatient follow-up for suspected glaucoma. The main referral reasons were a cup-to-disc ratio >0.5 or an asymmetry ≥0.2 (24%), intraocular pressure >21 mmHg (21%), and corneal opacity (15%). In the neonatal period, the referral reasons were corneal opacity, buphthalmos, tearing, and photophobia. After the neonatal period, besides these external changes, other signs were also reasons for referral, such as cup-to-disc ratio >0.5 or asymmetry ≥0.2, intraocular pressure >21 mmHg, and myopic shift. The referrals were made by health professionals in 69% and parental concern in 30% of the cases. In 97% of the primary congenital glaucoma cases, the parents were the first to identify the change and to seek for health care.

The referral reasons of the children to a tertiary glaucoma clinic were differed between the age groups and diagnoses. We suggest that awareness with these findings is important to avoid and postpone diagnosis, identify their impacts on prognosis, and avoid spending important resources for the management of diseases with inaccurate referrals.