title: Tasmanian macular hole study: whole population-based incidence of full thickness macular hole.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the incidence of full thickness macular hole in the Tasmanian population.
  
  
  METHODS
  A whole population retrospective case series in Tasmania, Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients diagnosed with full thickness macular hole (confirmed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging) of both idiopathic and secondary causes were identified from April 2005 to April 2011 by a sole vitreoretinal surgeon servicing Tasmania. Baseline characteristics were recorded. The six-year incidence rate was calculated, based on the 2006 and 2011 Tasmanian census data. Incidence rates were age and sex standardized.
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred forty-seven eyes of 136 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  To determine the incidence (age and sex standardized) of full thickness macular holes in Tasmania, Australia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Idiopathic macular holes comprised 128 (87.1%). There were 116 cases of idiopathic Full Thickness Macular Hole in one or both eyes between 1 April 2005 and 31 April 2011. The six-year incidence of idiopathic full-thickness macular holes was 24.3 per 100 000 people, 4.05 per 100 000 per year, with the highest six-year incidence observed among women aged 70-79 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first global study to report OCT confirmed incidence rates of full thickness macular holes in a relatively static Australian population sub-group.
authors.affiliation: Tasmanian Eye Institute, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.|University of Sydney Medical School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Launceston Clinical School, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Erica
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Darian-Smith
authors.affiliation: Tasmanian Eye Institute, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.|University of Sydney Medical School, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.|Launceston Clinical School, School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Allister R
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4431-6309
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Howie
authors.affiliation: Tasmanian Eye Institute, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Penny L
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Allen
authors.affiliation: Tasmanian Eye Institute, Launceston, Tasmania, Australia.
authors.forename: Brendan J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Vote
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012167:Retinal Perforations / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013648:Tasmania / Q000453:epidemiology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence / Q000379:methods; D014792:Visual Acuity
keywords: Tasmania; full thickness macular hole; incidence; population-based incidence