Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although glaucoma is a leading cause of blindness worldwide, yet there are no large databases where risk factors, current management options and outcomes may be evaluated. With this concept in mind, Dallas Glaucoma Registry was established to focus on an ethnically mixed North Texas population. METHODS: This is a retrospective, chart review of 2,484 patients (4,839 eyes) with glaucoma from three clinics. Data collected included: age, race, gender, intraocular pressure, visual acuity, central corneal thickness, cup-to-disk ratio, extent of visual field damage, glaucoma diagnoses, medical and surgical therapies. RESULTS: The most prevalent glaucoma was primary open angle glaucoma accounting for 44.4% of patients, followed by glaucoma suspect (39.5%), secondary glaucoma (7.2%), angle closure glaucoma (6.8%), normal tension glaucoma (1.7%), and childhood glaucoma (0.5%). The mean (SD) age was 68.7 (13.8) and 41.3% were non Hispanic white, 37.0% were black, 10.4% were Hispanic and 11.3% were of other ethnic origin. Hispanic representation in glaucoma did not match their numbers in general population of North Texas. CONCLUSION: Large numbers of patients in the ongoing Dallas Glaucoma Registry do provide adequate data to better understand risk factors, early detection, improved screening targets, treatment options, outcomes and future studies.