Genetic and Risk Factors in Exfoliation Glaucoma Patients

Patients \& examinations In this prospective non-randomised cohort study, the investigators enrolled patients with exfoliation glaucoma at the Ophthalmology Department of the Skaraborg's Hospital, Skövde, and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, from 1st January, 2014, to 31st December, 2017. All patients were followed-up for three years ± three months. Informed consent was obtained from all patients. The study protocol was granted ethical approval by the University of Gothenburg (DN:119-12). The study was performed in accordance with the tenets of the Declaration of Helsinki. At the recruiting visit, an ophthalmic nurse checked the visual acuity of patients with a Snellen's chart and performed a visual field test. Humphrey Field Analysis was performed using the software threshold 24-2. Subsequently, an ophthalmologist measured the intracoular pressure (IOP) with a Goldmann applanation tonometer and performed slit-lamp biomicroscopy, including gonioscopy. Pupils were then dilated with 2.5% phenylephrine and 0.5% tropicamide. After 20 min, the presence of exfoliation was confirmed, and the optic nerve was assessed using a 90-D lens. Subsequently, the central corneal thickness (CCT) was measured using an ultrasound device. The average value of seven measurements was automatically calculated. At the end of the visit, blood samples were collected. The number of medicines was registered as the number of compounds and not the number of bottles used.