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Aim: To ascertain utility values and associated quality of life with different severity and duration of glaucoma among Indian patients. Methods: Utility values of 105 consecutive patients with primary glaucoma of at least 12 months' duration were evaluated in a cross sectional study. Utility values were ascertained in five groups using both the timetrade off and standard gamble methods: group 1 (best corrected visual acuity in the better eye of 6/9 or better), group 2 (best corrected visual acuity in the better eye of 6/18 to 6/12), group 3 (best corrected visual acuity in the better eye of 6/36 to6/24), group 4 (best corrected visual acuity in the better eye of 3/60 to 6/60), and group 5 (best corrected visual acuity in the better eye of 3/60 or worse). Results: The mean utility value for the glaucoma group as a whole was 0.64 (SD 0.69; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.58 to 0.70) with the time-trade off method and 0.86 (SD 1.00; 95% CI, 0.81 to 0.90) with the standard gamble method for a gamble of death and 0.97 (SD 1.00; 95% CI, 0.94 to 0.99) for a gamble of blindness. The mean utility results by the time-trade off method were as follows: group 1 = 0.66, group 2 = 0.66, group 3 = 0.62, group 4 = 0.55, and group 5 = 0.61. The utility value was much lower (0.46) in those with no formal education or only primary education compared to those with postgraduate education (0.75) (p = 0.038). Those patients with glaucoma of less than 5 years' duration had a utility score of 0.62 while those with glaucoma for more than 10 years had a score of 0.74 (p = 0.40). Conclusions: Visual acuity loss occurring secondary to glaucoma is associated with a substantial decrease in patient utility value (and quality of life) in a developing country like India. The utility value is directly dependent on the degree of visual acuity loss associated with the disease and educational status and not on the duration of disease, the number of medications, or the visual field indices.

Aims To evaluate the relevance of the ISNT rule with reference to the optic nerve head, in differentiating normal and early glaucoma eyes and neuroretinal rim (NRR) area ratios as measures of glaucomatous optic neuropathy by confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (Heidelberg retina tomography (HRT) II). Methods The study included 136 control eyes and 63 eyes of early primary open-angle glaucoma. Each patient underwent a complete ophthalmic examination, HRT II (software 2.01) and achromatic automated perimetry using the Humphrey field analyzer Full threshold program 30-2 or 24-2. Topographic HRT parameters (disc area and rim area) were compared between the groups. To assess the statistical significance of differences between the study groups, the Student's t-test was used. Results The ISNT rule was applicable in 71% of normal eyes and 68% of early glaucoma eyes. The superior to inferior area ratio was 0.9670.01 in the normal group and 0.9070.02 in the glaucoma group. There was a loss of approximately a quarter of the NRR in the inferotemporal and superotemporal quadrants. The inferonasal sector showed the least loss of NRR (4.34%). Conclusion The inferior NRR is marginally wider than the superior NRR in about 2/3 of normal eyes, but could not be clinically appreciated in many of these. The characteristic configuration of a normal optic disc with the rim width being greatest in the inferior disc region followed by the superior disc region was maintained even in most patients with early glaucoma.

This multicenter cohort study of prevalent continuous PD patients in south India showed nondiabetics, average transporters, nonsmokers with reasonable nutritional status, with Hb 11 g/dL, with low peritonitis rate, with over 1 L ultrafiltration volume per day, the great majority that joined the once per lifetime payment scheme, and the reimbursement group survived for 3 years or longer.

To prospectively analyze the clinical and ultrasonographic biomicroscopy (UBM) features in eyes with closed globe injury, at the initial examination, that would predict the occurrence of chronic traumatic glaucoma during a 6-month follow-up.Methods: Forty consecutive eyes with closed globe injury and a chronically elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) of at least 21 mm Hg for a minimum of 3 months were diagnosed as having traumatic glaucoma and compared with 52 eyes with closed globe injury and no evidence of glaucoma.Results: The median grade of trabecular pigmentation on gonioscopy in eyes with traumatic glaucoma was 3 compared with 2 in eyes without glaucoma (P=.001). On UBM findings, 18 eyes with closed globe injury without glaucoma showed evidence of cyclodialysis, compared with 7 eyes with glaucoma (P =.001). The relative risk of developing traumatic glaucoma was also significantly higher with hyphema, elevated baseline IOP, angle recession of more than 180°, lens displacement, and wider angles on UBM.Conclusions: Clinically, the presence of increased pigmentation at the angle, elevated baseline IOP, hyphema, lens displacement, and angle recession of more than 180°were significantly associated with the occurrence of chronic glaucoma after closed globe injury. On UBM findings, a wider angle and the absence of cyclodialysis were significant predictors for the subsequent development of traumatic glaucoma.