Pediatric glaucomas: clinical features and treatment in a tertiary referral hospital in Mexico City

Abstract

Pediatric glaucomas are a heterogenous group of eye diseases associated in some cases to genetic syndromes. The objective of this study is to identify the different etiologies of glaucoma in children and to describe medical and surgical treatments in these patients in a tertiary referral hospital. Patients and Methods: Retrospective, descriptive and transversal study. Medical records analysis of patients diagnosed with glaucoma from 2011 to 2015. Age at diagnosis, laterality, etiology, associated syndromes, medical and surgical treatment and follow-up were gathered. Results: We identified 77 patients. Average age at diagnosis was 2.27 years.There was no gender predilection.The most frequent etiology was primary congenital glaucoma (63%) followed by glaucoma secondary to cataract surgery (19%). Sixty percent of all cases were bilateral. All patients underwent examination under anesthesia. Sixty-two patients (80%) required surgical treatment. There were 15 systemic and genetic diseases associated with pediatric glaucoma. Only two thirds of all patients continued their follow-up. Conclusions: Pediatric glaucomas are a challenge for ophthalmologists because they comprise a complex group of eye diseases with a difficult clinical approach due to systemic and genetic abnormalities, delayed diagnosis and high frequency of surgical treatment along with lack of follow-up.