J Korean Ophthalmol Soc.
1982 Sep;23(3):587-594.
A Clinical Study for Terminal Stage of Primary Glaucoma
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Busan National University, Korea.
Abstract
- As glaucoma progresses, the visual field changes continuously and the disk cupping 'enlarges progressively' At the terminal stage the visual field constrics concentrically and the disk cupping enlarges markedly with or without atrophic changes. Also many other ocular tissues run degenerative courses. Author studied 157 pat1ents(215 eyes) who visited Busan National University Hospital 'during the period from January 1976 to December 1980. The duration of follow-up ranged from 3 months to 3 years. Among the 215 glaucoma eyes terminal stage of primary glaucoma which was classified as author's criteria were 76 eyes(67 patients). The clinical analysis of the terminal stage of primary glaucoma were resumed as follows: 1. There were 83 patients(121 eyes, 56.3%) of primary glaucoma in total 157 glaucoma patients(215 eyes). 2. 61 eyes(80.3%) of the 76 eyes of terminal glaucoma showed ocular finding which disturbed visual acuiy. Those ocular findings were as follows: Bullous keratopathy(38.3%), lens sclerosis(9.2%). anterior chamber flare(11.8%), pigments on the corneal endothelium and anterior lens capsule(9.2%), vitreous floaters(1.3%), cataract(5.4%), corneal ulcer(1.3%). 3. Systemic diseases found in the terminal glaucoma patients were hypertension with cardiologic problems(6.5%), diabetes mellitus(1.6%), and thyrotoxicosis(1.6%). 4. 36 patients(58.1%) of the terminal glaucoma patients accompanied glaucoma in the opposite eye, and 14 patients(22.6%) were bilateral terminal glaucoma patients. 5. Medical treatment only was effective in 8 eyes(14.8%) and surgical treatments were effective in 30 eyes(76.9%) of the treated terminal glaucoma eyes. 6. The average duration from the time of initial appearance of the glaucomatous symptoms to the time diagnosed as terminal stage glaucoma was 2 years and 5 months in open-angle glaucoma and 50 days in angle-closure glaucoma.
