[Glaucoma patients treated by practicing ophthalmologists in Denmark. Estimated number of patients and the extent of visual field defects].
A test survey based on a questionnaire was carried out among Danish eye practitioners. The response rate was 72%. The purpose was to estimate the minimum number of patients suffering from glaucoma (prevalence). Survey results show a prevalence of 0.65%. Further, the survey shows a clear correlation between glaucoma diagnosis and age. The number of glaucoma patients increase from approximately 0.5% for persons 50 years of age to approximately 5% for persons 80 years of age. Seventy-two percent of the diagnosed glaucoma patients have visual field defects at different stages. Six percent have central islands on both eyes, the equivalent of a prevalence for social blindness of 0.04%. Ninety-three percent of the diagnosed glaucoma patients receive anti-glaucomatous treatment, of these 42% combination therapy. Eighty percent of glaucoma patients in combination therapy received three or more drugs.