[Study of primary open-angle glaucoma at the Institute of Tropical African Ophthalmology, Mali].

Introduction: Chronic open-angle glaucoma, also known as primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) is an anterior optic neuropathy, chronic and progressive evolution, characterized by perimeter alterations and pathological optic cup, usually with an increase in intraocular pressure (IOP). Our study describes the epidemiological and clinical aspects of POAG in patients over 40 years old in the Institute of Tropical African Ophthalmology.

Materials And Methods: It was a prospective and descriptive study lasting two months including 200 patients with POAG, with the presence of at least one of the following three signs: intraocular pressure> 21mm Hg, disc cupping cup/disc vertical ≥0.5 and a visual field alteration apart from all other causes. All glaucoma patients seen during the study period benefited from a complete eye examination. The studied variables were family history of glaucoma, age, IOP and pachymetry.

Results: The study included 200 patients aged over 40 years old, with an average age of 57.6 years. Males were most represented (63.5%) with a sex ratio of 1.74. The primary reason for ophthalmologic consultation was a decrease in visual acuity (55.9%) followed by headaches (23.1%). More than a quarter of patients (29.5%) had a family history of glaucoma, approximately 2/3 of the patients had a lower pachymeter than normal (63% of cases), hypertension (66.5%) and diabetes (15%).

Conclusion: POAG, primarily characterised by previous medical conditions, namely hypertension and familial history of glaucoma, can lead to blindness if screening is delayed or if the treatment is badly delivered. Hence, the importance of prevention through screening and informing the population about the disease is necessary.