Prevalence of pseudo-exfoliation syndrome in an urban South African clinic population

A total of 431 white patients and 234 black patients attending the Glaucoma Clinics of the University of the Witwatersrand were examined for pseudocapsular exfoliation. Both groups are urbanized and live under similar environmental conditions. The disease was seen in six white patients and 47 black patients. The high incidence in black patients is an unexpected observation as pseudocapsular exfoliation is thought to be rare in black persons. The typical case may be unilateral or bilateral, involves the older age groups (although five black patients were between the ages of 40 and 50 years) and there is a preponderance of males. Heredity probably plays a major part in the etiology. Glaucoma or ocular hypertension are not invariably associated with pseudocapsular exfoliation. They often do co-exist but it is not clear whether pseudocapsular exfoliation is the cause of raised intraocular pressure, an incidental finding, or an aggravating factor.