Prevalence and associations of epiretinal membranes in adult Chinese: the Beijing eye study

Abstract

Purpose To determine the prevalence of epiretinal membranes in the adult Chinese population. Methods The Beijing Eye Study, a population-based, cross-sectional cohort study, included 4439 subjects out of 5324 subjects invited to participate (response rate 83.4%) with an age of 40 þ years. The present investigation consisted of 4378 (98.6%) subjects for whom readable fundus photographs (301 nonstereoscopic colour images) were available. Assessing the fundus photographs, we differentiated two membrane types: cellophane maculopathy and premacular fibrosis. Results Prevalence rate of epiretinal membranes was 2.270.2% (mean7SE) (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.9,2.5) per eye or 2.270.2% (95% CI: 1.8,2.7) per subject. In binary logistic regression analysis, the prevalence of epiretinal membranes was significantly associated with age (Po0.001; 95% CI: 1.07,1.12), visual field loss (Po0.001; 95% CI: 1.03,1.07), hyperopia (P ¼ 0.02; 95% CI: 1.01,1.18), and higher education (Po0.001; 95% CI: 1.29,1.74). Cellophane maculopathy showed a prevalence rate of 1.1170.1% (95% CI: 0.9,1.3) per eye and 1.870.2% (95% CI: 1.4,2.2) per subject. Its prevalence was significantly associated with age (Po0.001; 95% CI: 1.08,1.13), higher education (Po0.001; 95% CI: 1.26,1.92), and visual field loss (P ¼ 0.009; 95% CI: 1.01,1.07). Premacular fibrosis had a prevalence rate of 1.0670.1% (95% CI: 0.9,1.3) per eye and 1.870.2% (95% CI: 1.4,2.2) per subject. It was significantly associated with age (Po0.001; 95% CI: 1.06,1.11), higher level of education (Po0.001; 95% CI: 1.15,1.74), and visual field loss (P ¼ 0.001; 95% CI: 1.02,1.08). ConclusionIn adult Chinese in Greater Beijing, epiretinal membranes including cellophane maculopathy and premacular fibrosis occur in a relatively low frequency which may be lower than in Western countries. Epiretinal membranes including its subtypes of cellophane maculopathy and epiretinal fibrosis were associated with age and hyperopic refractive error.

Prevalence and associations of epiretinal membranes in an adult Japanese population: the Funagata study

“…7 In relation to the prevalence of ERM in the Chinese population, it was much lower than that reported (the Beijing Eye Study: 2.2%). 8 The reasons for the wide range of ERM prevalence across different studies are not clear.…”

“…[6][7][8][9][10][11] It has been suggested that the higher prevalence in Hispanics as compared with other racial groups may be related to the higher frequency of diabetes in this racial/ethnic group. 9 In this report, we aim to describe the age-and genderspecific prevalence of ERM and associated risk factors in an adult Japanese population and to compare the prevalence rates with two other mainly white populations (the Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) in Australia and the Beaver Dam Eye study (BDES) in Wisconsin, USA) after age standardization to the world standard population.…”

Variations in prevalence estimates of epiretinal membranes

“…1 The authors agree with Dr Cheung and colleagues that for the descriptions of the correlations between the epiretinal membranes and the ocular and general parameters, the correlation coefficient, the P-value, and the 95% confidence intervals of the odds ratios were given, while the odd ratios themselves were omitted. The description of the statistical analysis would have been considerably more precise, if the odds ratios had additionally been given, which now can only be estimated from their 95% confidence intervals in the manuscript.…”

“…1 While varying prevalence rates of ERM have been reported in different ethnic groups, with rates from 6 to 11.8% in whites, 18.5% in Hispanics, and 4% in Japanese, 2,3 the BES reported the lowest prevalence rate in the literature (2.2%). Interestingly, the prevalence estimates were equal for both cellophane macular reflex (1.8%) and premacular fibrosis (1.8%).…”

Acute hydrops in a corneal graft for keratoconus

“…It has been shown that keratoconus can recur in a graft in 11.7% cases, with a mean time to recurrence of 17 years. 1 Hydrops is caused by a break in Descemet's membrane and is believed to occur in 2.6-2.8% cases with keratoconus. 2 The differential diagnosis for hydrops occurring within a graft includes endothelial rejection but in this case the split in Descemet's membrane was clearly seen.…”