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Abstract #10441 Published in IGR 6-1
The prevalence of pseudoexfoliation syndrome in Chinese people
Young AL; Tang WW; Lam DSBritish Journal of Ophthalmology 2004; 88: 193-195
BACKGROUND: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXS) is regarded as rare in people of Chinese ethnicity but the prevalence of this condition is not known. This epidemiology study was conducted to assess the prevalence of PXS in cataract patients and to report the clinical features present. METHODS: Prospective descriptive study conducted in the period from March 1999 to May 2001 in ophthalmology departments in cluster hospitals serving a population of about 1.2 million. Five hundred consecutive patients aged 60 years or more attending the general ophthalmic clinics with a presumed diagnosis of cataract were recruited. A detailed examination including biomicroscopy, intraocular measurement, and gonioscopy were performed on all patients. All positive PXS cases were documented photographically. RESULTS: Five hundred patients were examined. Their ages ranged from 60-91 years, with a male to female ratio of 1:2; 40% suffered from hypertension while 24% were known diabetics. Only two positive cases (0.4%) of PXS were identified in the study population. Eighteen percent of all eyes were found to have narrow angles (defined as grade 0 to 2 by Shaffer grading). Nuclear sclerosis was the single most common type of lens opacity. CONCLUSIONS: PXS is a rare condition in Chinese people. A prevalence rate of 0.4% in patients aged 60 years or more was identified in this hospital based epidemiology study. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first study conducted in a Chinese population to examine the prevalence of PXS.
Dr. A.L. Young, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Prince of Wales Hospital, Shatin, New Territories, Hong Kong, People's Republic of China. asmyoung@netvigator.com
Classification:
9.4.4.1 Exfoliation syndrome (Part of: 9 Clinical forms of glaucomas > 9.4 Glaucomas associated with other ocular and systemic disorders > 9.4.4 Glaucomas associated with disorders of the lens)
