Abstract
Purpose :
The objective of the study is to evaluate age-related macular degeneration prevalence in elderly living in two residential aged-care facilities. The hypothesis was that the prevalence is higher in this group compared to non hospitalized elderly population.
Methods :
The study was conducted in two residential aged-care facilities by two investigators who completed a questionnaire for each patient examined between February and September 2015. Patients were hospitalized most often for a systemic desease.
For each patient were noted age,sexe, visual acuity for each eye, lens status, maculopathy score based on drusen and pigmentary epithelium alteration presence, exsudative or atrophic macular degeneration, OCT (Optical Coherence Tomography) or fluorescein angiography prescription and treatment modalities.
Results :
252 questionnaires were completed for 252 patients examined (180 women and 72 men). The mean age was 85.6 (± 0.4) years (range: 63-101). 229 patients (91%) were older than 75 years. Only 30% patients complained of decreased vision. Mean logMAR Visual acuity was 0.68 for the right eye and 0.67 for the left eye (range : 0 - 2). 59 patients (23.4%) had maculopathy without degeneration criteria. Macular degeneration was present in 60 patients (24.9%) with atrophic degeneration in 45 patients(17.9%) and neovascular degeneration in 12 patients (4.8%). Bilateral degeneration was noted in 36 patients (14.3%).
Conclusions :
Age related maculopathy prevalence (drusen, pigmentary epithelium degeneration) was nearly 25% in this elderly hospitalized population. This resulat was similar to others studies. But age related macular degeneration prevalence was higher in our study (respectively 18% of atrophy and 4.8% of neovascular degeneration) than in others studies. Moreover atrophic form was more prevalent than exsudative macular degeneration. This result may be explained by more advanced age in this population, the absence of ophthalmological screening or monitoring and the absence of visual complaint.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.