FAMILY HISTORY OF GLAUCOMA AND RISK-FACTORS IN PIGMENTARY GLAUCOMA - A CLINICAL-STUDY

Background. Whether a family history of glaucoma (FHG) in patients wit h pigmentary glaucoma (PG) is a prognostical indicator, is unknown. Th erefore the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of FHG on the severity of the disease in PG and pigment dispersion syndrome (PDS ). Furthermore risk factors in PG and PDS were evaluated. Methods. The findings of 207 patients with PG and PDS, who were able to give infor mation about FHG, were evaluated (149 PG, 43 PDS with ocular hypertens ion (OH), 15 PDS without OH). Results. Significance of FHG:FHG was fou nd in 39.1%,and in one third of the patients more than one relative ha d the disease. FHG was found in PG not more frequent than in PDS. Pigm entary glaucomas in advanced stages of the disease did not have a high er incidence of FHG than patients in beginning stages. Out of 207 pati ents with PG and PDS 71% were male and 29% female (p < 0.001). In pati ents with FHG the share of men was 64.2% and not significantly differe nt to the group without FHG with 75.4%. The sex distribution in parent s and grandparents having a glaucomatous disease was 1:1. Risk factors : The patients with and without FHG in PDS with and without OH, PG. an d within the different stages of visual field loss, showed no signific ant differences in risk factors, for example in maximum intraocular pr essure, refraction and cup-disc ratio. Myopia: Patients with PG had a significantly higher myopia than patients with PDS (p < 0.01). The hig her the myopia, the earlier the disease was diagnosed (p = 0.008). Kru kenberg spindle: During miotic therapy the Krukenberg spindle decrease d in the upper half of the cornea. Time of diagnosis: PG was diagnosed at a higher age compared to PDS. Conclusion. FHG does not influence t he severity of the disease in PG. Family history of glaucoma is a risk factor in patients with PG, but no prognostical indicator. Patients w ith FHG do nor have primarily larger cup-disc ratios than patients wit hout FHG. Myopia is a risk factor.