Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome Prevalence in Somali Patients with Senile Cataract

Abstract

Introduction:To evaluate the prevalence and demographic data of Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) in Somali patients with age-related cataract surgery.Methods:The study included 110 eyes of 110 patients planned for undergoing cataract surgery. Slit lamp biomicroscopy was used for classifying the cataract as nuclear, cortical, mature or hypermature. Goldmann applanation tonometer was used to measure the intraocular pressure. The inclusion criteria were: age >50 years, surgical indication because of age-related cataract (severity of lens opacification ≥2 in Lens Opacity Classification System III) and visual acuity <3/10. Pseudoexfoliation was defined as the presence of a differentlooking fibrillar white substance that formed an almost complete ring on the lens surface or on the pupillary edge.Results:The prevalence of PEX was 40.9% (45/110). It was bilateral in 71.1% (32/45) of the cases. The mean age of the sample was 67.4±8.9; however, that of patients with PEX (71.3±7.2 years) was significantly higher than in patients without it (64.7±9 years) (p<0.05). The prevalence of PEX was higher in patients with mature cataract (p<0.05) and older age (p=0.01). Mean intraocular pressure was higher in eyes with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (23.3±3.5 mmHg) than in those without it (14.3±4.2 mmHg); and this finding was statistically significant (p<0.05).Conclusion:PEX is a common condition in the Somali population. It is associated with ageing, mature and hypermature type of cataracts, glaucoma and increased intraocular pressure.

Keywords

• cataract
• pex
• pseudoexfoliation
• somalia
• subsaharan africa