Comparative Incidence of Angle-closure Glaucoma among Different National Groups in Victoria, Australia.

AFTER the second world war, the emigration of peoples from Europe to Australia was greatly accelerated. The large numbers of these different national groups now resident in Australia has permitted investigations of different disease incidence among them. During the examination of over 300 patients who had angle-closure glaucoma (in one of its forms previously described by Lowe, 1961), it was possible to tabulate 210 patients according to country of birth (Table I). These patients were drawn from the cross-indexed history files of The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital from 1954 to 1961 and a few were examined in private practice. Some had originally attended the hospital with angleclosure glaucoma before 1954 but had been re-examined and included in the list after return visits to hospital or when requested to attend for review. Examinations of all these patients were conducted during 1961 and 1962. The population census figures for 1954 and 1961 are presented to give an idea of thp proportions of the different nationalities (Census Bulletin, 1962). The 1954 and 1961 censuses showed that 50 per cent. of the population was under the age of 30 years and below this age the manifestation of angleclosure glaucoma is very uncommon (Lowe, 1961). The general population figures have not been used as they represent a higher average economic level than that of the patients who came mostly from the lower income groups and were attending a public hospital. To counteract the economic factors the racial distribution of 1,000 patients over the age of 30 years, attending the hospital seriatim during part of 1961 has also been set out in Table I for more appropriate comparison. It appeared particularly strange that no Italians and only one male Greek had attended with angle-closure glaucoma, and it seemed possible that Italian and Greek women in Australia might be reluctant to attend this