Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To examine the 5-year incidence of definite and possible pseudoexfoliations (PEX) in the Reykjavik Eye Study (RES) sample. Methods: The RES included a random sample from the population census of 1045 persons who were 50 years and older and had participated in the baseline examination of 1996. Of these, 846 (88.2% of survivors) participated in the follow-up examination in 2001. After dilation of the pupil a slit-lamp examination was performed looking specifically for PEX. Participants with a partial or complete central shield with or without a peripheral band in at least one eye were considered having PEX at baseline. Suspects were those with either PEX flakes on anterior segment structure or precapsular haze/frosting on the central lens capsule in at least one eye. Exclusion criteria for PEX were history of previous glass blowing, previous trauma, or intra-ocular surgery. Results: The 5-year incidence of definite PEX in right eyes was 2.0%, 3.6%, 5.8% and 13.3% for those 50-59 years old, 60-69 years old, 70-79 years old and 80 years and older at baseline, respectively. The 5-year incidence of definite PEX in left eyes in the same age-groups is 2.6%, 3.6%, 4.7% and 22.2%, respectively. The incidence is similar for both eyes in all age-groups except for those 80 years and older where number of participants is small. Of the 38 persons with definite PEX in one eye at baseline, 34% had progressed to bilateral PEX after 5 years, 63% were still unilateral, and in one eye no PEX could be observed. The 5-year incidence of possible PEX in right eyes was 9.8%, 12.2%, 19.1% and 7.7% for the age-groups 50-59, 60-69, 70-79 and 80 years and older. The 5-year incidence of possible PEX in left eyes in the same age-groups was 6.3%, 10.4%, 8.9% and 30.8%, respectively. The incidence of definite PEX was more common in females than in males. Conclusions: Definite PEX increases with increasing age of the RES-sample, and is more commonly found in females than in males.
Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: pre