Refractive errors and biometry of primary angle-closure disease in a mixed Malaysian population

AIM: To assess the refractive status, anterior chamber depth (ACD) and axial length (AL) of patients with primary angle-closure disease (PACD).

METHODS: Retrospective cohort. Data was collected from charts of all PACD patients treated from April 2013 to December 2015. Analysis was done on 137 patient charts with complete biometric data. Patient demographics, PACD type, refractive status (spherical equivalent), ACD and AL were studied.

RESULTS: The median age of 137 subjects [53 with primary angle-closure suspects (PACS), 27 with primary angle-closure (PAC) and 57 with primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG)] was 68y (range 21-88y). The majority was Chinese (n=68; 49.6%) and most of them were women (n=75; 54.7%). The distribution of myopia (n=51; 37.2%) and hyperopia (n=49; 35.8%) was similar. The ACD was shallower in myopes compared to hyperopes (P=0.02) and emmetropia (P=0.049) but the AL was not significantly different between groups. There were no patients blind from PACG.

CONCLUSION: Both myopia and hyperopia can occur in PACD. Despite a shallower ACD in angle closure myopes, the AL was not different between groups.