Prevalence and characteristics of peripheral retinal degeneration in Chinese adults with high myopia: a cross-sectional prevalence survey.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to study the prevalence of peripheral retinal findings in adult Chinese patients with high myopia (refraction < or = -6.00 D) and to investigate the correlation between the retinal lesions and the severity of myopia or axial length.


METHODS
A cross-sectional prevalence survey screening was conducted in high ethnic Chinese myopes with refractions equal to or less than -6.00 D. The examinations included cycloplegic refraction, A and B scan ultrasonography, and retinal examinations by indirect ophthalmoscopy with scleral indentation and Goldmann three-mirror contact lens examination.


RESULTS
Two hundred thirteen eyes in 213 patients with a mean refraction of -10.10 +/- 4.23 D (range = -6.00 to -27.00 D) were examined. The mean axial length was 26.69 +/- 1.68 mm (range = 25.18-33.62 mm) and the mean age was 33.5 +/- 10.6 years (range = 18-73 years). The most common peripheral retinal finding was pigmentary degeneration (51.2%), followed by lattice degeneration in 12.2% and retinal holes in 7.5% of eyes. A positive correlation was noted between axial length and the lesions of pigmentary degeneration and pavingstone degeneration. The prevalence of retinal holes was 6.4% and 30.0% in eyes with axial length of < 30 mm and > or = 30 mm, respectively (chi-squared test, p = 0.006).


CONCLUSIONS
A high prevalence of peripheral retinal degenerations was found in adult Chinese high myopes. The presence of retinal holes was positively correlated with very high myopia of an axial length of > or = 30 mm.
Lam
Dennis S C
DS
Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong Eye Hospital, Kowloon, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. dennislam@cuhk.edu.hk
Fan
Dorothy S P
DS
Chan
Wai-Man
WM
Tam
Barbara S M
BS
Kwok
Alvin K H
AK
Leung
Alfred T S
AT
Parsons
Hugh
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D044466:Asian People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D009216:Myopia / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D012029:Refraction, Ocular; D012162:Retinal Degeneration / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000208:ethnology / Q000503:physiopathology; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000150:complications; D012720:Severity of Illness Index