Abstract
Background
To estimate the prevalence of posterior segment eye lesions and to identify their ocular and systemic associations within the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) in Germany.
Methods
Assessment and grading of fundus images as well as physical examination and history taking were performed in the cross-sectional analysis of 15,010 subjects (aged 35–74 years) using standardised procedures to determine the prevalence and associations of various posterior segment eye lesions.
Results
Fundus photographs of both eyes were available for 12,782 (85.2%; 50% female) subjects. The prevalence weighted to the region of Mainz and Mainz-Bingen in Germany was for choroidal nevi 2.4%, drusen of the optic nerve head 0.2%, tilted discs 1.5%, chorioretinal scars suggestive of toxoplasmosis 0.2%, retinitis pigmentosa 0.04% and persistent hyaloid artery 0.02%. Choroidal nevi were positively associated with a history of myocardial infarction (OR = 2.7, 95% confidence interval 1.2–6.2, p value = 0.017). Tilted discs were positively associated with increased intraocular pressure (OR = 1.09 per mm Hg (1.02–1.16), p = 0.011) and negatively associated with smoking (OR 0.4 (0.3–0.7), p = 0.0022). Participants with tilted discs had a mean spherical equivalent of − 3.6 dioptres (standard deviation 4.0) compared with − 0.4 dioptres (2.4) to those without.
Conclusion
Our study is—to the best of our knowledge—the first to determine the prevalence of drusen of optic nerve head among Caucasians, to show a positive association between tilted discs and increased intraocular pressure and questions a possible link between choroidal nevi and myocardial infarction. It also showed that participants with tilted discs had a lower mean spherical equivalent than those without.
To estimate the prevalence of posterior segment eye lesions and to identify their ocular and systemic associations within the Gutenberg Health Study (GHS) in Germany.
Methods
Assessment and grading of fundus images as well as physical examination and history taking were performed in the cross-sectional analysis of 15,010 subjects (aged 35–74 years) using standardised procedures to determine the prevalence and associations of various posterior segment eye lesions.
Results
Fundus photographs of both eyes were available for 12,782 (85.2%; 50% female) subjects. The prevalence weighted to the region of Mainz and Mainz-Bingen in Germany was for choroidal nevi 2.4%, drusen of the optic nerve head 0.2%, tilted discs 1.5%, chorioretinal scars suggestive of toxoplasmosis 0.2%, retinitis pigmentosa 0.04% and persistent hyaloid artery 0.02%. Choroidal nevi were positively associated with a history of myocardial infarction (OR = 2.7, 95% confidence interval 1.2–6.2, p value = 0.017). Tilted discs were positively associated with increased intraocular pressure (OR = 1.09 per mm Hg (1.02–1.16), p = 0.011) and negatively associated with smoking (OR 0.4 (0.3–0.7), p = 0.0022). Participants with tilted discs had a mean spherical equivalent of − 3.6 dioptres (standard deviation 4.0) compared with − 0.4 dioptres (2.4) to those without.
Conclusion
Our study is—to the best of our knowledge—the first to determine the prevalence of drusen of optic nerve head among Caucasians, to show a positive association between tilted discs and increased intraocular pressure and questions a possible link between choroidal nevi and myocardial infarction. It also showed that participants with tilted discs had a lower mean spherical equivalent than those without.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1-9 |
| Journal | Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology |
| Early online date | 18 Jul 2019 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Early online date - 18 Jul 2019 |