Pseudoexfoliation syndrome at Jordan University Hospital.

PURPOSE

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXS) and analyse its association with particular ocular diseases in patients attending the Department of Ophthalmology at Jordan University Hospital.

METHODS

A total of 1195 consecutive patients, aged 40-90 years, who attended the Department of Ophthalmology at Jordan University Hospital between December 2005 and March 2007 were included in the study. Each patient underwent complete ophthalmic evaluation, including: relevant history; visual acuity testing; slit-lamp examination, applanation tonometry, gonioscopy and dilated fundus examination. Patients with typical pseudoexfoliative material on the anterior lens surface and/or the pupillary margin in either or both eyes were labelled as having PXS.

RESULTS

Of the 1195 patients, 9.1% had pseudoexfoliation (PXF). Their mean age was 68.3 years (standard deviation [SD] 9.57). The prevalence of PXS had a tendency to increase with age but had no sex predilection. Pseudoexfoliation was bilateral in 65.7% of cases. It was significantly associated with cataract, glaucoma and phacodenesis. Of the eyes with PXF, 92.1% had cataract, 33.1% had glaucoma and 7.9% had phacodenesis.

CONCLUSIONS

Although this study was not population-based, its findings increase our knowledge of PXS in a Middle Eastern country. Few data on PXS are available from this part of the world.