Prevalence of Pseudoexfoliation Syndrome in Turkish Patients with Senile Cataract

Purpose: To investigate the prevalence of pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) among Turkish patients with senile cataract. Materials and Methods: Records of 352 eyes of 352 patients who underwent cataract surgery were analyzed in this retrospective study. The presence of PEX, type of cataract, intraocular pressure (IOP), glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, and systemic diseases (coronary artery disease, hypertension, diabetes mellitus) were recorded. Results: The overall prevalence of PEX syndrome was detected to be 11%. The mean age of PEX patients was significantly higher than without PEX (74.4 +/- 7.2 years and 69.3 +/- 11.4 years, respectively, p=0.004). The most common cataract type in the PEX patients was mixed-type cataract determined in 51.2% of patients. IOP was significantly higher in eyes with PEX than in eyes without it (16.1 +/- 4.5mmHg and 14.7 +/- 3.8mmHg, respectively; p=0.03). Moreover, the prevalence of age-related macular degeneration was found to be significantly higher, and prevalence of glaucoma slightly higher in PEX patients than without PEX. Conclusion: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome is a common condition in Turkish people. PEX is associated with mixed type of cataract, age-related macular degeneration, and elevated IOP. Therefore, PEX patients should be checked for concomitant diseases.