Low Tension Glaucoma and Refractive Error

There are many suggestive risk factors f3r the development of open angle glaucoma including age, race, family history, myopia, diabetes, systemic hypertension and migrain. Myopia is a common clinical entity and the importance of low tension glaucoma seems to be increasing recently.

Nine four eyes of Low tension glaucoma(LTG) were examined for intraocular pressure, visual field test fundus examination, gonioscopic examination and refractive state. We analysed the prevalence of myopia in patients with Low tension Glaucoma and compared with normal population of similar age.

The results were as fo11ows

1) There were ninety four eyes with LTG and more men(55.3%) than women(44.7%) had been affected, the mean age at diagnosis was 43.28±7.96 years in melt, 47.08±8.20 years in women and the mean IOP at diagnosis was 15.59±3.26 mmHg in men, 15.23±2.89 mmHg in women.

2) Seventy two eyes(76.6%) were refractive myopia, and the percentage of myopia in LTG was greater than reported for a normal population of similar age(72.9%).

3) The percentage of myopia greater than -3.12 diopter was 30.8% in LTG and only 8.7% in normal controls.