Profile of Newly Diagnosed Childhood Glaucoma in India

Objective

To report the profile of newly diagnosed childhood glaucoma using the Childhood Glaucoma Research Network (CGRN) classification, presenting over 1 year from across centers in India.

Design

Prospective observational multicentric study.

Subjects

Newly diagnosed children aged < 18 years diagnosed with childhood glaucoma according to CGRN criteria presenting between January and December 2019 to 13 centers across India.

Methods

All children underwent a comprehensive ocular examination, including examination under anesthesia for younger children, and were diagnosed with childhood glaucoma as per CGRN. Data were entered in a standard Excel chart. Refraction and visual acuity assessments were done when feasible.

Main Outcome Measures

The profile of newly diagnosed childhood glaucoma in different parts of India and the severity of glaucoma at presentation.

Results

A total of 1743 eyes of 1155 children fulfilled the definition of glaucoma and were analyzed. Primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) comprised the single largest group (34.4%), most of which were infantile onset (19%). Neonatal-onset PCG comprised 6.2% of all glaucoma. Secondary glaucoma constituted 53.4% of all glaucoma, one-half of which were acquired conditions (28%), followed by isolated ocular anomalies (14.7%), glaucoma after cataract surgery (6.7%), and glaucoma with nonacquired systemic diseases (4.5%). Of the 1743 eyes with glaucoma, all 3 parameters for severity grading were available in 842 eyes, of which 501 (59.5%) eyes presented with mild, 320 (38%) with moderate, and 21 (2.5%) with severe glaucoma. Nearly one-third of the children (28.5%) were not brought back for follow-up after the initial treatment given.

Conclusions

Our study has one of the largest numbers of consecutive children with glaucoma classified according to the CGRN classification. Despite a widely diverse population, the profile of childhood glaucoma was relatively uniform across India. Childhood glaucoma is a significant problem in India, primarily treated in tertiary care hospitals. The data presented may be the tip of the iceberg because we have only reported the children who reached the hospitals offering treatment for this challenging disease.

Financial Disclosure(s)

The author(s) have no proprietary or commercial interest in any materials discussed in this article.