PURPOSE: To evaluate characteristics of glaucoma patients at our university hospital facility. METHODS: This is a retrospective study that shows comprehensive clinical factors presented by patients on their first appointment at the Universidade Federal de São Paulo - UNIFESP Glaucoma Department, from January 2000 through January 2001. The data originated from a social, demographic and comprehensive analysis of our prerecorded files. RESULTS: The group consisted of elderly people, mostly Caucasian, female, married and retired, or with a domestic lifestyle, about 89% from the state of São Paulo. It was observed that 928 (56.44%) of the studied eyes presented visual acuity lower than 1.0 logMAR and that 689 (41.9%) of the studied eyes displayed visual acuity above or equal to 1.0 logMAR. The advanced optic-disk cup, above or equal to 0.8, was found in 42.03% of the studied eyes. A significant number of patients displayed advanced pathological conditions. CONCLUSIONS: It was observed that 41.9% of the cases presented blindness in one eye from the very onset, and that 42.03% of the eyes presented advanced cup above or equal to 0.8, suggesting advanced glaucoma.
Glaucoma; Blindness; Blindness
