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Dry age-related macular degeneration in the Japanese population

  • Clinical Investigation
  • Published:
Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To elucidate the clinical characteristics of eyes with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in Japan.

Study design

Retrospective.

Methods

We performed a nationwide survey of dry AMD. A questionnaire on dry AMD was sent to 3,801 major hospitals and eye clinics nationwide. Whenever both eyes met the diagnostic criteria, only the eye with more advanced geographic atrophy was included.

Results

In the current survey, 81 patients (81 eyes) with dry AMD were included. Of the 81 patients, 56 (69.1%) were men, and the mean age of the patients was 76.6 ± 8.4 (range, 54–94) years. Twenty-four patients (29.6%) had a history of smoking. The decimal best corrected-visual acuity (BCVA) was equal to or better than 0.7 in 25 eyes (30.9%), but worse than 0.1 in 17 eyes (21.0%). The mean BCVA was 0.62 ± 0.59 in logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution. Lesion size (the greatest linear dimension of the largest geographic atrophy) was ≥ 2 disc diameter in 33 eyes (40.7%) and < 1 disc diameter in 21 eyes (25.9%). Soft drusen was observed in 27 eyes (33.3%), and reticular pseudodrusen was observed in 31 eyes (38.3%). Of the 81 patients, the other eye was diagnosed as dry AMD in 26 eyes (32.1%), neovascular AMD in 16 eyes (19.8%), and intermediate AMD in 18 eyes (22.2%).

Conclusion

Dry AMD in the Japanese population has characteristics of male predominance, older age, high prevalence of reticular pseudodrusen, and high bilaterality.

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Acknowledgements

We thank the following for their support: Sotaro Ooto, MD, Yuki Morizane, MD, Susumu Ishida, MD, Motohiro Kamei, MD, Nagahisa Yoshimura, MD.

Funding

This survey was supported by Health and Labor Sciences Research Grants for Research on Rare and Intractable Diseases.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan

    Akitaka Tsujikawa

  2. Department of Ophthalmology, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Osaka, 573-1191, Japan

    Kanji Takahashi

  3. Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Ryo Obata

  4. Department of Ophthalmology, Tokyo Women’s Medical University, Tokyo, Japan

    Tomohiro Iida

  5. Department of Ophthalmology and Micro-Technology, Yokohama City University, Yokohama, Japan

    Yasuo Yanagi

  6. Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa, Japan

    Hideki Koizumi

  7. Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Yamagata University Faculty of Medicine, Yamagata, Japan

    Hidetoshi Yamashita

  8. Department of Ophthalmology, Graduate School of Medicine, Dentistry and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Okayama University, Okayama, Japan

    Fumio Shiraga

  9. Department of Ophthalmology, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima, Japan

    Taiji Sakamoto

Authors
  1. Akitaka Tsujikawa
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  2. Kanji Takahashi
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Kanji Takahashi.

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Conflicts of interest

A. Tsujikawa, None; K. Takahashi, None; R. Obata, None; T. Iida, None; Y. Yanagi, None; H. Koizumi, None; H. Yamashita, None; F. Shiraga, None; T. Sakamoto, Grant to the author’s institution (Novartis, Santen), Consulting fees (Senju, Santen, Novartis Chugai, Roche), Payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events (Santen, Alcon, Senju, Topcon, Nidek, Bayer, Novartis, Nikon), Support for attending meetings and/or travel (Bayer), Participation on a Data Safety Monitoring Board or Advisory Board (Roche).

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Corresponding Author: Kanji Takahashi

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Tsujikawa, A., Takahashi, K., Obata, R. et al. Dry age-related macular degeneration in the Japanese population. Jpn J Ophthalmol 66, 8–13 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-021-00892-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-021-00892-y

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