Resumo

CABRERA MARTINEZ, José Alberto; MARTINEZ RIBALTA, Jorge; MARQUEZ FERNANDEZ, Melba  e  CABRERA MARTINEZ, Abel. Colour vision of patients suspected of and diagnosed with glaucoma as an early damage of ganglionary cells of the retina. Rev Cubana Oftalmol [online]. 2007, vol.20, n.1. ISSN 0864-2176.

A descriptive analytical study of 60 patients suspected of glaucoma and diagnosed with simple chronic glaucoma at initial stage, who went to the Ophtalmology service of  “Dr. Carlos J. Finlay”  Military Hospital in the period from 2003 to 2006. The sample covered 30 patients suspected of and 30 patients diagnosed with glaucoma that fulfilled inclusion and exclusion requirements. The first 30 patients of each group seen in that period were selected. Several tests were apppied to evaluate colour vision, as an early damage in ganglionary cells of the retina. Every patient having at least three important risk factors (high blood pressure, age over 40 years, black race and family history of first degree relatives suffering the dissease) was considered suspect of having glaucoma. The patients were diagnosed as glaucomatous when they presented with symptoms and signs of the disease and incipient alterations of the visual field (increase of blind stain, nasal step or Seidel scotoma).  This study also used a sample of 31 supposedly healthy subjects, who had participated as control group under the same exploratory conditions in a prior research study at “Hermanos Ameijeiras” hospital. The title of that research was “Study of chromatic vision in a healthy population”. The evaluation method consisted of an initial ophthalmological exam where general data, clinical symptoms and signs as well as risk factors were collected. It was observed that healthy subjects did not present alterations in relation to colours and that individuals suspected of and diagnosed with glaucoma did have a significant index

Palavras-chave : Glaucoma; dyschromatopsy.