Changes of conjunctivochalasis with age in a hospital-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the relationship between age and the incidence and severity of conjunctivochalasis by using the grading system for conjunctivochalasis proposed by Meller and Tseng.


METHODS
Prospective, nonrandomized, consecutive case study.


METHODS
A total of 1,416 patients aged one to 94 years were enrolled. The age, gender, medical history, ocular history, and grade and parameters of conjunctivochalasis at three locations (nasal, middle, and temporal) were determined in all subject.


RESULTS
The prevalence of conjunctivochalasis increased dramatically with age (one to 10 years, 6.8%; 11 to 20 years, 36.2%; 21 to 30 years, 61.5%; 31 to 40 years, 71.4%; 41 to 50 years, 90.2%; 51 to 60 years, 94.2%; 61 to 70 years, 98.0%; 71 to 80 years, 99.0%; 81 to 90 years, 98.5%; and 91 to 100 years, 100.0%). The mean grade of conjunctivochalasis was higher in female patients than in male patients (nasal area, P = .0229; temporal area, P = .0078) and was higher for the temporal conjunctiva than the nasal conjunctiva (P < .0000001). Parameters such as the downward gaze- or digital pressure-dependent changes of conjunctivochalasis and the presence of superficial punctate keratitis all increased with age. These conjunctivochalasis-related parameters were correlated with the severity of conjunctivochalasis (P < .00001), especially of the middle bulbar conjunctiva.


CONCLUSIONS
We report the grade of conjunctivochalasis in a large series of consecutive patients. Our results strongly suggest that conjunctivochalasis is an age-dependent eye disease that occurs in young adulthood and thereafter. The present grading system should be useful for future clinical studies of conjunctivochalasis.
Mimura
Tatsuya
T
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tokyo Graduate School of Medicine, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, Japan. mimurat-tky@umin.ac.jp
Yamagami
Satoru
S
Usui
Tomohiko
T
Funatsu
Hideharu
H
Mimura
Yoshiko
Y
Noma
Hidetaka
H
Honda
Norihiko
N
Amano
Shiro
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D055815:Young Adult