DACRYOCYSTITIS AND GLAUCOMA: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY IN A SYRIAN COHORT

*Seyed Mostafa Borsi, Mostafa Ibrahim, Mahmoud Rajab and Afraa Salman

ABSTRACT

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between dacryocystitis and glaucoma in patients over 55 years of age who underwent dacryocystorhinostomy at Tishreen University Hospital in Syria between 2020 and 2023. Methods: A retrospective review of medical records of 30 patients (21 females and 9 males, mean age 65 ± 10 years) who underwent external dacryocystorhinostomy was conducted. Glaucoma diagnosis was based on clinical examination of optic disc characteristics, including size, shape, neuroretinal rim shape, and pallor, as well as the presence of parapapillary chorioretinal atrophy and visualization of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL). The Shaffer grade was used to determine the angle, and visual field testing (perimetry) and OCT of the optic nerve were performed. Statistical analysis was performed using Excel and SPSS, with a p-value of 0.05 considered significant. Results: The study found a 76.67% incidence of glaucoma in patients with dacryocystitis, significantly higher than the reported average incidence of glaucoma in the general population (1.9%) and normal pressure glaucoma (0.8%). The chi-squared statistic was 31.98 with a p-value of 1.55 and degrees of freedom of 1. Conclusions: The statistically significant association between dacryocystitis and glaucoma observed in this study suggests a higher incidence of glaucoma in patients with dacryocystitis compared to the general population. Further research is needed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms of this association and its implications for clinical practice.

Keywords: Dacryocystitis, Glaucoma, Normal Pressure Glaucoma, Dacryocystorhinostomy, Syria.