Epidemiology of glaucoma in Burkina Faso: Determination of the prevalence and circulating glaucomatous phenotypes in Ouagadougou

Purpose. - Glaucoma encompasses a particular set of degenerative diseases of the optic nerve which may have predisposing genetic factors. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and phenotypes of primary glaucoma encountered in the population.Methods. - This was a cross-sectional study carried out on retrospective data from three health-care centers in the city of Ouagadougou between 2012 and 2020. Data collection was carried out using patient records.Results. - The population receiving diagnostic glaucoma examinations in the 3 healthcare cen-ters during the study period consisted of 13,378 patients, of which 50.55% were female. The general prevalence of patients with primary glaucoma was 4.04% (or 540 patients). Primary open-angle glaucoma (80.37%), congenital glaucoma (15.74%) and primary angle-closure glau-coma (3.89%) were identified in the study population.Conclusion. - Glaucoma is a public health problem in Burkina Faso. It is often diagnosed in the late stages because of its insidious progression. In a developing country, effort must be also made to equip and increase the number of healthcare centers. In addition, efforts must be made to raise awareness, and to develop and popularize molecular biologic techniques for early detection in order to provide patients with appropriate care.(c) 2022 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.