[Anatomical risk factors of angle-closure glaucoma. A 10-year study of limbal and axial anterior chamber depths in a risk population].

The present follow up study was undertaken in order to evaluate the predictive value of a low limbal chamber depth (LCD) and axial anterior chamber depth (ACD) over ten years. A population of 539 Greenlanders had been examined in 1979, using LCD estimations and ACD re-measurements by Haag Streit slit lamp pachymetry. ACD had also been measured in the same population 1969. Persons above age 40 in 1989, who were without glaucoma in 1979 and had shown an LCD value < or = 0.25 of corneal thickness (= CT), and an ACD value of < or = 2.70 mm (CT included) were selected as probands. A total of 75 such persons (= 84% of those alive and eligible) were examined in 1989. Five had developed PACG during the ten year period. At the survey seven more PACG cases were detected, yielding a PACG prevalence of 12/75 = 16%. LCD and ACD did not show significant association with eventual PACG status within the sample while gonioscopical status did so (p < 0.02). Creeping, synechial angle-closure was frequent. Among probands not examined, mostly due to death, 5/54 had developed PACG during the ten year period. Non-probands had their records scrutinized for PACG; yet among the 258 persons above age 40 no PACG case was found. Thus a fairly simple, anatomical slit lamp evaluation/measurement of limbal and axial anterior chamber depths was found to effectively select a subgroup which over ten years proved to be at risk of PACG-development.