Chronic open-angle glaucoma and advanced visual field defects in a defined population.

In a case-finding study in a municipality in central Sweden, 128 cases of chronic open-angle glaucoma with visual field defects (VFD) were found. The prevalence amounted to 1.4% in those greater than or equal to 45 years of age. Sixty-three percent had capsular glaucoma. Advanced visual field defects (AVFD), i.e. a restriction of the visual field to a diameter of less than or equal to 20 degrees, were seen in 49 patients. Four patients had AVFD in both eyes. Patients with AVFD were older, had had the disease longer, had higher mean initial intraocular pressure (IOP), and had more extensive VFD at the time of diagnosis. When age and duration were taken into consideration, the risk of developing AVFD was 14 times greater in those with VFD stage III at the time of diagnosis, i.e. a Bjerrum scotoma with nasal breakthrough or more widespread VFD. An IOP of greater than or equal to 35 mmHg signified that the risk of having VFD stage III at the time of diagnosis, when age and type of glaucoma were taken into consideration, was 8.6 times greater than if the IOP was less than 35 mmHg.