The initial presentation of glaucoma varies meaningfully across SSA. A comprehensive strategy with regional customization based on local differences is needed to reduce glaucoma blindness in SSA.Purpose: To explore regional variations in the presentation of newly diagnosed glaucoma in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA).Methodology: This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study in which newly diagnosed, consecutive, glaucoma patients aged older than or equal to 18 years were recruited from 27 eye clinics in 10 countries throughout SSA. Demographic and ophthalmic examination data were collected. Glaucoma severity was based on optic nerve head and visual field assessment. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA version 14.0.Results: Among 1214 enrolled patients with newly diagnosed glaucoma from Western, Eastern, and Southern Africa, the overall mean (SD) age was 59.9 (17.1) years. More than half of all patients (716/ 1178; 60.8%) presented with severe glaucoma in the worse eye, and one-third (36.9%) had severe glaucoma in both eyes. Primary open angle glaucoma was the commonest form of glaucoma in all regions (77.4%). A family history of blindness (260/1204, 21.6%) was common. Patients from Western Africa had lower mean presenting intraocular pressure (26.4 [11.1] mm Hg, P < 0.001), but had worse glaucoma in the better eye based on mean cup-disc ratio (0.8; P < 0.001) and mean visual field mean deviation [10.4 (8.4)] dB, P = 0.016) compared with
Stargardt’s disease is an inherited macular dystrophy that is transmitted in an autosomal recessive or dominant pattern. The disorder is typically characterized by impairment of central vision, with onset around the first 10–20 years of life. Stargardt’s disease is rare in sub-Saharan Africa. This is probably the first reported case in the subregion. We present two siblings with the disease. Presentation, pathophysiology, and management modalities are discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.