The prevalence of macular degeneration in a cohort of institutionalized geriatric glaucoma patients

Four hundred and twenty-five eyes of 213 instiutionalized geriatric patients (mean age 83.9 years), were studied. Fundus could be seen in 136 patients, in 234 glaucomatous eyes and in 37 eyes without glaucoma. A separate group of 100 control patients, matched according to age, sex and reasons for institutionalizing (mean age 81.3 years) was also studied. Fundus could be seen in 78 patients. There was no difference in the occurrence of diabetes mellitus among the study group and controls, but cerebral thrombosis occurred statistically significantly more often in glaucoma patients than in the controls. Macular degeneration occurred in 41% (56/136) of the glaucoma patients; in 27% (63/234) of glaucomatous eyes and in 43% (16/37) of nonglaucomatous eyes. Macular degeneration occurred bilaterally in less than half of the glaucoma patients. Macular degeneration occurred in 37% (29/78) of the control patients and bilaterally in most of the patients.