The incidence of patients with pseudoexfoliation in two different regions of Serbia

Abstract

Introduction/Objective Pseudoexfoliation (PEX) is an age-related systemic disorder, which can affect the whole body, as well as the eye. It is characterized by abnormal production and accumulation of pseudoexfoliative material. When present in the eye, it can cause different difficulties, but most common are PEX glaucoma (XFG) and intraoperative and postoperative complications of cataract surgeries. The aim of this study was to determine an incidence of patients with PEX in two different regions of Serbia.

Methods The study included 7451 patients scheduled for cataract surgery in two regions of Serbia. It was designed as a multicentric, retrospective study with evaluation of the medical records of all patients who underwent cataract surgery. The study evaluated: incidence of PEX syndrome and PEX glaucoma, age, and sex of patients, as well as preoperative antiglaucomatous therapy and intraoperative and post-operative cataract surgery complications.

Results PEX syndrome (XFS)was recorded in 676 patients (407 females and 269 males), while 243 patients had XFS. It represented 3.26% of patients included in the study. Mean age of XFG patients was 78.1 ± 2.1 years with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) among incidence of XFG in females compared to males. Intraoperative and postoperative complications during cataract surgery were significantly common in patients with PEX (p < 0.05)

Conclusion PEX can complicate cataract surgery, while on the other hand XFG is more difficult to treat and control than most other glaucomas. Therefore, patients with PEX require special treatment during follow-up and treatment.

Keywords: pseudoexfoliation syndrome; phacoemulsification; pseudoexfoliation glaucoma