PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of glaucoma among patients referred to a glaucoma service with suspicious disc photographs from the diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening program. METHODS: A clinical audit of all patients attending a single-center DR screening program in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, between July 2010 and October 2011 was conducted with a minimum follow-up of 30 months. The DR screening service uses trained technician graders to assess 2-field color retinal photographs for the features of DR. Recently, the service was enhanced so that optic discs are also assessed for signs of glaucoma. RESULTS: In the 16-month study period, 3,697 diabetic patients were photographed. Following photograph grading, 91 (2.46%) were judged to require referral for assessment at the glaucoma clinic. Of these, 63 (69.23%) presented for assessment. Thirteen patients (20.63%) were diagnosed with glaucoma, comprising 7 cases of low-tension glaucoma and 6 cases of primary open-angle glaucoma. Thirty-six patients (57.14%) were classified as glaucoma suspects and 14 patients (22.22%) were discharged back to the DR screening program following normal ocular examination. Only 6 (9.52%) of the 63 patients examined had an intraocular pressure greater than 21 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of DR screening photographs for signs of glaucomatous optic nerve damage should be considered as part of a strategy to improve glaucoma case detection and to reduce the burden of this disease on society.
PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of glaucoma among patients referred to a glaucoma service with suspicious disc photographs from the diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening program. METHODS: A clinical audit of all patients attending a single-center DR screening program in the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, between July 2010 and October 2011 was conducted with a minimum follow-up of 30 months. The DR screening service uses trained technician graders to assess 2-field color retinal photographs for the features of DR. Recently, the service was enhanced so that optic discs are also assessed for signs of glaucoma. RESULTS: In the 16-month study period, 3,697 diabeticpatients were photographed. Following photograph grading, 91 (2.46%) were judged to require referral for assessment at the glaucoma clinic. Of these, 63 (69.23%) presented for assessment. Thirteen patients (20.63%) were diagnosed with glaucoma, comprising 7 cases of low-tension glaucoma and 6 cases of primary open-angle glaucoma. Thirty-six patients (57.14%) were classified as glaucoma suspects and 14 patients (22.22%) were discharged back to the DR screening program following normal ocular examination. Only 6 (9.52%) of the 63 patients examined had an intraocular pressure greater than 21 mm Hg. CONCLUSIONS: The assessment of DR screening photographs for signs of glaucomatous optic nerve damage should be considered as part of a strategy to improve glaucoma case detection and to reduce the burden of this disease on society.
Authors: Ahmed A Almazroa; Maria A Woodward; Paula Anne Newman-Casey; Manjool M Shah; Angela R Elam; Shivani S Kamat; Carrie A Karvonen-Gutierrez; Sarah D Wood; Navasuja Kumar; Sayoko E Moroi Journal: Clin Ophthalmol Date: 2020-11-16
Authors: Nishanthan Ramachandran; Ole Schmiedel; Ehsan Vaghefi; Sophie Hill; Graham Wilson; David Squirrell Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2021-12-14 Impact factor: 2.692