PURPOSE: To determine the prevalence of pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) in an adult population in the capital of the Lower Silesia, Wroclaw.
METHODS: 165 persons aged between 66 to 80 years were randomly selected from Wroclaw inhabitants. All patients underwent slit lamp examination after pharmacological pupil dilation and measurements of the intraocular pressure (IOP). The patients diagnosed with PEX were classified as a stage 1 (PEX1) (atrophy of the pupillary border) or as a stage 2 (PEX 2) (the presence of pseudoexfoliation material on the lens capsule or iris).
RESULTS: The prevalence of PEX in the stage 1 was 20.6% and in the stage 2 was 6.06%. For further statistical analysis the patients with the stage 2 were taken. PEX(2) was observed commonly in patients over the age of 75 (70%). The frequency of PEX(2) was little higher in females (7.05%) than in males (5.0%). Among all over PEX(2) cases 33,3% of them had glaucoma. The average IOP in the eyes with PEX was 19.76 mmHg and without PEX -15.44 mmHg. 30 % of PEX(2) cases were bilateral.
CONCLUSION: In Wroclaw population the prevalence of PEX(2) increased over the age of 75. This study confirmed the strong relationship between glaucoma and PEX(2). In our population-based sample the IOP of persons with PEX(2) was significantly higher than that of persons without PEX(2).