Prevalence of optic disc drusen: A systematic review, meta-analysis and forecasting study.

Optic disc drusen (ODD) are calcium-containing deposits in the optic nerve head, capable of causing visual field defects and sudden visual loss. The underlying pathophysiology remains inadequately understood and treatment options are missing. In this paper, we systematically reviewed prevalence studies of ODD in non-selected populations to provide an overview of its prevalence, conducted meta-analyses to determine modality-specific prevalence estimates and performed a forecasting study to estimate current and future global population number of individuals with ODD. We searched 11 literature databases on 25 October 2022 for prevalence studies of ODD in non-selected populations. Eight eligible studies provided data from a total of 27 463 individuals. Prevalence estimates were stratified according to diagnostic modalities: ophthalmoscopy 0.37% (95% CI: 0.10-0.95%), fundus photography 0.12% (95% CI: 0.03-0.24%), spectral domain optical coherence tomography with enhanced depth imaging 2.21% (95% CI: 1.25-3.42%) and histopathology 1.82% (95% CI: 1.32-2.38%). Using histopathology-based summary prevalence estimate, we forecast 145 million individuals with ODD currently, a number expected to increase further due to world population growth. These numbers underscore the importance of including ODD in health education and highlight the necessity of continuing research in ODD.

Optic disc drusen in patients diagnosed with normal tension glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the prevalence of optic disc drusen (ODD) and optic nerve head (ONH) morphology in patients diagnosed with normal tension glaucoma (NTG). METHODS: In this prospective cross-sectional study, we included patients diagnosed with NTG from two glaucoma units. In both eyes, dense enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography volume scans of the ONH by means of standardized scanning guidelines were performed to examine for presence of ODD, and radial ONH scans were used for investigating parameters such as scleral canal diameter, cup/disc ratio and cup depth. RESULTS: We found ODD in 7 (3.6%) of 195 eyes, in 6 (6.1%) out of 98 patients diagnosed with NTG. The ODD were not ophthalmoscopically visible in five out of six patients. Eyes with ODD had lower cup/disc ratio, 0.44 ± 0.4 (p = 0.040), and less-prominent cup depth, 236.6 ± 204.4 µm (p = 0.041) compared to eyes without ODD, 0.81 ± 0.2 and 437.8 ± 139.1 µm, respectively. We found no significant difference in scleral canal diameter between the eyes without (1602.8 ± 193 µm) and those with ODD (1492 ± 123.4 µm, p = 0.057). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of ODD in patients diagnosed with NTG is substantially higher than in the background population. A low cup/disc ratio correlates with ODD presence. Therefore, due to the challenges associated with NTG diagnosis, we recommend examining the deep layers of the ONH in NTG patients with a cup/disc ratio lower than 0.5 to avoid misdiagnosing ODD as NTG.

Prevalence of Optic Disc Drusen in Young Patients With Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: A 10-Year Retrospective Study.

BACKGROUND: Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) in young patients (age ≤50) accounts for a minority of all cases of NAION and is more highly associated with crowding of the optic nerves and bilateral involvement than NAION in older patients. Optic disc drusen (ODD) are likewise associated with crowded optic nerves and are located in the prelaminar optic nerve head where they could contribute to NAION pathogenesis. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of ODD in the eyes of young NAION patients using modern imaging methods and to compare it to the baseline 1.8%-2.0% prevalence of ODD in the general population. METHODS: In this retrospective study, all young NAION patients (ages 18-50 years, inclusive) seen in 2 tertiary care neuro-ophthalmology clinics (in London, Canada and Copenhagen, Denmark) in the ten-year interval between April 1, 2009, and March 31, 2019, were identified and their medical charts reviewed. Patients were included in the study if ODD were diagnosed by any method (including ophthalmoscopy, ultrasound [US], fundus autofluorescence [FAF], computed tomography [CT], or any optical coherence tomography [OCT] method), or if ODD were excluded by enhanced-depth imaging OCT (EDI-OCT) using the ODD Studies (ODDS) Consortium protocol. The presence or absence of ODD was recorded for each eye. RESULTS: There were 37 eligible patients (74 eyes). Mean age of NAION onset was 38.5 ± 10.0 years, and 23 patients (62%) were men. Patients had undergone the following methods of ODD detection: ophthalmoscopy (37 patients), EDI-OCT (36 patients), FAF (31 patients), US (9 patients), and CT orbits (8 patients). We found a prevalence of ODD of 56.7% in NAION-affected patients and 53.3% in NAION-affected eyes. Only 35.9% of ODD were visible on ophthalmoscopy. Twenty of 21 ODD patients (95.2%) had bilateral ODD. Age of onset and sex did not differ significantly between the ODD-positive group and the ODD-negative group. EDI-OCT outperformed any combination of ophthalmoscopy, US, FAF, and CT at detecting ODD. CONCLUSION: ODD were found with much higher prevalence in young patients with NAION than in the general population and were usually bilateral and buried. ODD may contribute to NAION pathogenesis by exacerbating an underlying compartment syndrome in the crowded "disc at risk." EDI-OCT may be the best imaging modality for ODD detection in future studies.

Progression Over 5 Years of Prelaminar Hyperreflective Lines to Optic Disc Drusen in the Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000 Eye Study.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to examine 5-year changes in eyes with optic disc drusen at baseline on optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans and the relation of incident drusen to hyperreflective prelaminar lines. METHODS: The study included children who presented at baseline, when participants were aged 11-12 years, and again 5 years later. Grading for optic disc drusen was made in all. Grading for prelaminar lines was made in all children at follow-up and in eyes with optic disc drusen at baseline. Analyses included associations with scleral canal diameter at baseline in all children with optic disc drusen and a nested control group of 115 children without optic disc drusen. Data are reported as the number of children having at least one drusen or at least one hyperreflective line per person. RESULTS: The analysis included 724 children who attended both rounds of the study. Of these, 11 (1.5%) had optic disc drusen at baseline. Five additional children had developed optic disc drusen at follow-up, whereas optic disc drusen had disappeared in none, so that 16 (2.2%) children had optic disc drusen in one or both eyes at follow-up. Children with optic disc drusen at the 5-year follow-up had had a mean scleral canal diameter of 1,364 µm (interquartile range [IQR] 81 µm), compared with 1,457 µm (IQR 197) µm in 115 nested controls without optic disc drusen (P < 0.001). Optic disc drusen at follow-up were associated with more hypermetropic refraction. All children who had optic disc drusen at follow-up also had prelaminar hyperreflective lines. In addition, such lines were found at follow-up in 24 of the remaining 708 children without optic disc drusen (P < 0.001). Prelaminar hyperreflective lines with or without optic disc drusen were associated with a narrower scleral canal (diameter 1,364 µm, IQR 119 µm) compared with absence of prelaminar lines (1,486 µm, IQR 206 µm; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION: This study provides the first evidence from a prospective study that small optic discs and prelaminar hyperreflective lines on OCT are risk factors for the development of optic disc drusen. The association between prelaminar hyperreflective lines, hypermetropia, and a narrow scleral canal supports that a crowded disc is an essential predisposing factor for the development of optic disc drusen.

Optic Disc Drusen Associated Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy: Prevalence of Comorbidities and Vascular Risk Factors.

BACKGROUND: Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NA-AION) associated with optic disc drusen (ODD) is termed ODD-AION, where NA-AION with no evidence of ODD is simply termed NA-AION. Patients with ODD-AION have been found to be younger than those with NA-AION but with similar vascular risk factors. This study compares the known risk factors for NA-AION between a group with ODD-AION and a similarly aged group with NA-AION. METHODS: A case-control study of 13 patients with ODD-AION and 14 patients with NA-AION diagnosed in the period 2008-2017. All patients underwent an interview designed to evaluate history of vascular risk factors and comorbidities and re-examination including enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography to confirm the presence or absence of ODD. RESULTS: No significant differences were found in demographic or clinical characteristics between the ODD-AION and the NA-AION group. Significantly more ODD-AION patients than NA-AION patients had no vascular risk factors (smoking, arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and dyslipidemia) present (P = 0.047). Significantly fewer patients in the ODD-AION group were diagnosed with arterial hypertension or dyslipidemia than in the NA-AION group. CONCLUSIONS: In this cross-sectional study, the ODD-AION patients more often had no vascular risk factors as compared to NA-AION patients, which supports the hypothesis that ODD are an independent risk factor for AION.

Prevalence and histopathological signatures of optic disc drusen based on microscopy of 1713 enucleated eyes.

PURPOSE: Optic disc drusen (ODD) are calcified optic nerve head deposits. Objectives of this study were to examine the prevalence of ODD in eyes removed by enucleation and to describe related histopathological signatures of ODD and surrounding tissues. METHODS: The study was a retrospective observational case series study assessing and re-evaluating enucleated eyes in Denmark from 1980 to 2015 by microscopy. Individual ODD were described based on size, number and location (superficial and/or deep) within the optic nerve. Optic nerve heads with ODD were assessed for elevated discs, retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness, oedematous axons and presence of localized peripapillary axonal distension (LPAD) equivalent to the peripapillary hyperreflective ovoid mass-like structures seen on optical coherence tomography. RESULTS: Microscopy of 1713 eyes revealed ODD in 31 eyes equivalent to a prevalence of 1.8%. Optic disc drusen (ODD) were seen as circular shapes of different sizes and varying number. Elevated discs were present in 15 (54%) of the cases. Thickening of the superficial RNFL was present in eyes with large deeply located ODD. For more superficial ODD of approximately same size, the RNFL was thinner. Oedematous axons were present in three eyes. Localized peripapillary axonal distension (LPAD) was seen in five eyes. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of ODD in this study of histopathological signatures was higher than the prevalence found in clinical studies. Our results suggest that large, deep ODD might cause crowding and herniation of axons in the optic nerve head leading to a thickened superficial nerve fibre layer, pseudopapilledema and LPAD.

Risk Factors for Fellow Eye Involvement in Nonarteritic Anterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

BACKGROUND: Nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy (NAION) is the most common acute optic neuropathy in individuals older than 50 years. Demographic, ocular, and systemic risk factors for NAION have been identified, and we sought to determine which, if any, of these factors also increase risk of NAION in the fellow eye. METHODS: We performed a retrospective chart review of patients with "ischemic optic neuropathy" (based on International Classification of Disease [ICD] codes) seen at a single eye center between 2007 and 2017. Patients who met diagnostic criteria for unilateral NAION without fellow eye optic neuropathy at diagnosis were included. Demographic information, ocular comorbidities, and systemic diagnoses were recorded, in addition to whether the fellow eye developed NAION during the follow-up period. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression were used to calculate hazard ratios (HRs) for fellow eye involvement. RESULTS: Three hundred eighteen patients were identified by ICD codes, and 119 were included in the study. Twenty-nine (24%) patients developed NAION in the fellow eye over the mean follow-up period of 3.6 years (range: 1 month-11 years). Significant risk factors for fellow eye NAION included the presence of bilateral optic disc drusen (ODD, HR 2.78, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.12-6.90, P = 0.02) and noncompliance with continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) in patients with moderate-to-severe obstructive sleep apnea (HR 4.50, 95% CI 1.79-11.3, P = 0.0015). CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral ODD and noncompliance with CPAP when indicated are associated with increased risk of NAION in the fellow eye. Patients with these risk factors should be counseled on the potentially devastating visual consequences of bilateral NAION, and compliance with CPAP should be stressed when appropriate.

Optic Disc Drusen in Children: The Copenhagen Child Cohort 2000 Eye Study.

BACKGROUND: Optic disc drusen (ODD) are seen in up to 2.4% of the general population, but the etiology and pathophysiology of the condition is still unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of ODD in a population-based child cohort and to determine if scleral canal diameter and fetal birth and pubertal parameters are associated with the presence of ODD. METHODS: This observational, longitudinal population-based birth cohort study, with a nested case-control, included 1,406 children. Eye examinations were performed when the children were between 11 and 12 years of age. Assessment was performed of optical coherence tomography (OCT) scans from 1,304 children with gradable enhanced depth imaging scans of the optic disc. RESULTS: ODD in one or both eyes were found in 13 (1.0%) of all children. All but one of the cases were found in children with scleral canal diameter in the lowest quartile (1,182-1,399 µm) in the nested case-control study. Children with ODD had a mean disc diameter of 1,339 µm (interquartile range, 30 µm), whereas it was 1,508 µm (interquartile range, 196 µm) in the 130 controls without ODD (P < 0.001). No differences in sex, birth weight, refractive error, and Tanner stages (of puberty) were found between children with and without ODD. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of ODD was 1% in a large child cohort examined by OCT. ODD was found only in eyes with a narrow scleral canal, which is consistent with the hypothesis that ODD might arise as a consequence of retinal nerve fiber congestion in the scleral canal.

Optic Disc Drusen and Family History of Glaucoma-Results of a Patient-directed Survey.

PURPOSE: Prospective evaluation of family history (FH) of glaucoma and FH of optic disc drusen (ODD) in patients with sonographically confirmed ODD. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 87 patients with ODD interviewed all their first-degree and second-degree relatives using a detailed questionnaire on whether an ophthalmologist had diagnosed or excluded glaucoma or ocular hypertension (OH). Using a second questionnaire, 62 of these patients also provided information about ODD in their FH. Control groups for FH of glaucoma consisted of 2170 patients with glaucoma or OH evaluated with the same methods and identical questions for FH of glaucoma in a previous study, and of 176 healthy individuals without glaucoma or ODD who were interviewed on family history of glaucoma. RESULTS: Glaucoma in FH was significantly more frequent in patients with ODD with an incidence of 20.7% compared with healthy controls with an incidence of 2.8%, and half as frequent as in glaucoma patients with an incidence of 40%. ODD in FH were found in 9.7% of patients with ODD. CONCLUSIONS: As there is a high frequency of family history of glaucoma in patients with ODD, evaluation of FH of ODD and FH of glaucoma is essential in patients with ODD. Glaucoma in FH of ODD patients requires intraocular pressure monitoring and whenever deemed beneficial timely initiation of intraocular pressure-lowering therapy.

Ocular findings in patients with cholestatic disorders of infancy: A single-centre experience.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Neonatal cholestasis can be associated with ocular findings that might aid in its diagnosis, e.g., Alagille syndrome (AGS) and Niemann Pick disease (NPD). We aimed to investigate the frequency of ocular manifestations in infants with cholestasis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross-sectional study included cholestatic infants presenting to the Paediatric Hepatology Unit, Cairo University Paediatric Hospital, Cairo, Egypt. All infants underwent examination of lid, ocular motility, anterior and posterior segments and measurement of intraocular pressure, cycloplegic refraction, ocular ultrasonography and vision. RESULTS: The study included 112 infants with various cholestasis; 73 (65.2%) were males. The median age was 2months. Diagnosis was reached in 39 cases: 14 had AGS, 14 had biliary atresia (BA), 4 had NPD, 4 had post-haemolytic cholestasis, 2 had cytomegalovirus neonatal hepatitis, and one case had hepatorenal tyrosinaemia. Thirteen cases were probably having progressive familiar intrahepatic cholestasis (PFIC) type 1 or 2 considering their persistent cholestasis in the presence of normal gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase; 28 were left with a diagnosis of "idiopathic neonatal hepatitis" (INH), and 32 (28.6%) had no definite diagnosis. Ophthalmologic abnormalities were found in 39 cases (34.8%). The commonest finding was unilateral/bilateral optic nerve drusen in 12 (10.7%), followed by posterior embryotoxon in 11 (9.8%). Ocular findings were observed in 64.3% patients with AGS, 50% patients with NPD, 30.8% cases with suspected PFIC type 1or 2, 28.6% infants with INH, and 14.3% patients with BA. CONCLUSION: Ophthalmologic findings are not uncommon among cholestatic infants. Ophthalmologic examination should be routinely performed, including assessment of anterior segment, fundus examination, and ocular ultrasound.

Optic Nerve Head Drusen Prevalence and Associated Factors in Clinically Normal Subjects Measured Using Optical Coherence Tomography.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of optic nerve head drusen (ONHD) in clinically normal subjects using enhanced depth imaging (EDI) optical coherence tomography (OCT) and to evaluate associated factors. DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional, observational study. PARTICIPANTS: Total of 130 clinically normal subjects. METHODS: Serial horizontal and vertical EDI OCT B-scans (interval between scans, ∼30 µm) of the optic nerve head (ONH) were obtained in both eyes of clinically normal subjects. Signs of ONHD were defined as horizontal hyperreflective bands perpendicular to the OCT beam with or without a signal-poor core. The minimum length of isolated hyperreflective bands was determined based on analysis of 34 eyes with clinically definite ONHD. Age, gender, ONH diameter, and axial length were obtained from participants. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Prevalence of ONHD in clinically normal subjects and its association with age, gender, ONH diameter, and axial length. RESULTS: Based on the measurements of 94 isolated hyperreflective bands in the 34 eyes with clinically definite ONHD, the minimum length of isolated hyperreflective ONHD bands in clinically normal subjects was set as 45 µm (mean minus 2 standard deviations). Among 260 clinically normal eyes (130 subjects; 68 women; mean age, 40±17 years), EDI OCT was positive for horizontal hyperreflective ONHD bands in 28 eyes (10.8%) of 19 subjects (14.6%). Of these 28 eyes, 25 eyes (9.6% of total 260 eyes) of 16 subjects (12.3% of total 130 subjects) showed isolated hyperreflective bands with no signal-poor core, and 3 eyes (1.2% of total 260 eyes) of 3 subjects (2.3% of total 130 subjects) showed a signal-poor core surrounded by hyperreflective bands. No significant differences were found in mean age (44 vs. 39 years; P = 0.121) or gender distribution (56% vs. 52% female; P = 0.766) between clinically normal subjects with hyperreflective ONHD bands and those without. Logistic regression analysis showed that a decrease in ONH diameter by 100 µm and axial length by 1 mm increased the odds of ONHD presence by 1.5-fold (odds ratio [OR] = 1.56 [confidence interval (CI), 1.22-2.00]; P < 0.001) and 2-fold (OR = 2.00 [CI, 1.15-3.49]; P = 0.015), respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Subclinical ONHD may be more prevalent than previously believed. Significant associations of subclinical ONHD with smaller ONH and shorter axial length were found.

[Analysis of structure, causes, and risk factors of ischemic optic neuro-pathy]. / Analiz struktury, prichin i faktorov riska razvitiia ishemicheskoi opticheskoi neiropatii.

AIM: to analyze the structure, risk factors, and causes of ischemic optic neuropathy (ION). MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 239 patients (303 eyes) with ION and 98 patients (185 eyes) with optic disc drusen were examined. All ION patients underwent general clinical assessment. Those under 50 years of age were also tested for antiphospholipid markers and gene polymorphisms of the coagulation system. RESULTS: All patients were found to be exposed to two or more modifiable risk factors of ION. A total of 47.1% of cases were judged as being at anatomical risk of anterior ION (AION) with the cup-to-disc ratio in the second eye of less than 0.15 (of less than 0.25 in 53% of cases). Of 98 patients (185 eyes) with optic disc drusen, 5.4% of cases (10 eyes) developed AION. As many as 22% of ION patients were under 50 years of age. Of them, in 32% primary APS was diagnosed, in 3.6% - secondary (in the presence of SLE); all cases were positive for polymorphisms of the coagulation system that determine genetic predisposition to ION (indeed, the frequency of the latter was significantly higher in these patients than in the control group). CONCLUSION: Ischemic optic neuropathy is an optic nerve disorder that requires thorough medical history taking and comprehensive assessment of the patient in order to identify the causes and risk factors of this disease as well as accompanying pathologies.

Optic disk drusen in children.

Optic disk drusen occur in 0.4% of children and consist of acellular intracellular and extracellular deposits that often become calcified over time. They are typically buried early in life and generally become superficial, and therefore visible, later in childhood, at the average age of 12 years. Their main clinical significance lies in the ability of optic disk drusen, particularly when buried, to simulate true optic disk edema. Misdiagnosing drusen as true disk edema may lead to an invasive and unnecessary workup for elevated intracranial pressure. Ancillary testing, including ultrasonography, fluorescein angiography, fundus autofluorescence, and optical coherence tomography, may aid in the correct diagnosis of optic disk drusen. Complications of optic disk drusen in children include visual field defects, hemorrhages, choroidal neovascular membrane, nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy, and retinal vascular occlusions. Treatment options for these complications include ocular hypotensive agents for visual field defects and intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents for choroidal neovascular membranes. In most cases, however, children with optic disk drusen can be managed by observation with serial examinations and visual field testing once true optic disk edema has been excluded.

[Drusen characteristics after internal limiting membrane peeling]. / Verhalten von Drusen nach "internal limiting membrane peeling".

BACKGROUND: There are some reports showing isolated cases of drusen regression after pars plana vitrectomy (ppV) with peeling of the internal limiting membrane (iLM). Drusen characteristics after iLM peeling was investigated in this study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The data of 527 patients who had received iLM peeling between 2004 and 2012 were retrospectively collected and those patients with retinal drusen were selected for the study. Fundus photographs before and after vitrectomy due to a macular hole or epiretinal gliosis were compared and drusen arrangement in the peeling site was analyzed. The aim of the study was to show whether there was drusen regression 2-5 months after surgery. RESULTS: Out of the 527 patients 11 showed central macular drusen, 4 with confluent large drusen (> 63 µm diameter) and 7 with small hard drusen (≤ 63 µm diameter). One patient showed drusen regression after iLM peeling without any changes in the other eye and all other patients showed no differences in the drusen findings (n = 6) or even some additional drusen (n = 4) without drusen alterations in the other eye. CONCLUSION: The results of this study could not confirm some reports showing drusen regression after iLM peeling in the peeling site in general and there was only one single case of central drusen regression.

Juxtapapillary pigment epithelium detachment observed in asymptomatic participants using optical coherence tomography.

PURPOSE: To use three-dimensional optical coherence tomography (3D-OCT) to assess the prevalence of juxtapapillary retinal pigment epithelial detachments (jPED) in an asymptomatic population. METHODS: Asymptomatic participants (i.e., family members of patients) were prospectively recruited over a 6-month period. Each subject completed a questionnaire prior to the acquisition of two undilated 45° fundus images and two undilated raster 3D-OCT scans (512 × 128) covering the macula and optic nerve from each eye using 3D-OCT-1000. Fundus images were graded for the presence of peripapillary atrophy (PPA), peripapillary pigment (PPP), drusen in the macula, and drusen elsewhere, whereas 3D-OCT scans were assessed for the presence of jPED, drusen in the macula, and drusen elsewhere. RESULTS: In all, 276 eyes from 138 participants were evaluated. Mean participant age was 37.6 years (range: 18-74 years; SD: 15.5 years). In all, 87 jPEDs were detected in 26.1% (36/138) of asymptomatic participants (25 bilateral and 11 unilateral) or 17.0% (47/276) of asymptomatic eyes (23 in the right eye and 24 in the left). The maximum height of jPED was 198.3 ± 53.8 (range: 101.8-376.0) µm. The minimum distance of jPED to the border of optic nerve head (OPN) was 2.6 ± 11.1 (range: 0-61.9) µm. The occurrence of jPEDs or drusen elsewhere by subjects increased statistically with increasing age (P < 0.001, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, definite jPEDs were observed by OCT in asymptomatic participants, which were not seen with fundus photography. jPEDs were seen more commonly with increasing age, although it is not known whether these lesions represent deposition of drusen-like material or aborted choroidal neovascularization adjacent to the natural break in Bruch's membrane at the optic disc.

Clinical features of reticular pseudodrusen according to the fundus distribution.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate the morphological features and prevalence of accompanying late age-related macular degeneration (AMD) according to the fundus distribution of reticular pseudodrusen (RPD). METHODS: According to the involved area in the fundus, the distribution of RPD was classified as localised, intermediate, or diffuse type. Morphology of RPD was classified as discrete, branching, or confluent pattern. The presence of late AMD was evaluated. RESULTS: 233 eyes of 121 patients with RPD were included. The distribution of RPD was localised, intermediate and diffuse type in 30.9%, 40.3% and 28.8% of eyes, respectively. The discrete, branching and confluent morphological patterns were found in 45.8%, 44.8% and 9.7% of the localised type, and in 0%, 13.8% and 86.2% of the intermediate type, respectively. In contrast, the diffuse type showed only the confluent morphological pattern. The prevalence of accompanying late AMD was 13.9%, 13.8% and 56.7% in the localised, intermediate and diffuse type, respectively, and it was significantly higher in the diffuse type (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: RPD with diffuse distribution showed a confluent morphological pattern and a high prevalence of late AMD. RPD can be classified by the fundus distribution for the assessment of visual prognosis.

Dietary omega-3 fatty acids and the risk for age-related maculopathy: the Alienor Study.

PURPOSE: Previous studies have suggested a lower risk for age-related maculopathy (ARM) in subjects with high dietary intake of long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The authors report the associations of ARM with past dietary intakes in French elderly subjects. METHODS: The Alienor Study is a population-based epidemiologic study on nutrition and age-related eye diseases performed in residents of Bordeaux 73 years of age and older. Six hundred sixty-six subjects (1289 eyes) with complete data were included in the analyses. ARM was classified from retinal photographs taken in 2006 to 2008 in five exclusive stages: late neovascular ARM (n = 21 subjects, 29 eyes); late atrophic ARM (n = 19 subjects, 33 eyes); large soft indistinct drusen and/or reticular drusen and/or large distinct drusen with pigment abnormalities (early ARM2, n = 67 subjects, 100 eyes); large soft distinct drusen alone or pigment abnormalities alone (early ARM1, n = 119 subjects, 163 eyes); and no ARM (n = 440 subjects, 964 eyes). Dietary intakes were estimated from a 24-hour dietary recall performed by dieticians (2001-2002). Associations were estimated using logistic Generalized Estimating Equation. RESULTS: After multivariate adjustment, subjects with high intake of long-chain omega-3 PUFA showed a decreased risk for early ARM1 (odds ratio [OR], 0.83; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.71-0.98; P = 0.03) and late neovascular ARM (OR, 0.26; 95% CI, 0.08-0.83; P = 0.02). Associations with late atrophic ARM were in the same direction but did not reach statistical significance (OR, 0.74; 95% CI, 0.52-1.06; P = 0.10). Overall, high intakes of long-chain omega-3 PUFA were associated with reduced risk for late ARM (OR, 0.59; 95% CI, 0.39-0.88; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: These results confirm a decreased risk for ARM in subjects with high intake of long-chain omega-3 PUFA.

Associations of complement factor H and smoking with early age-related macular degeneration: the ALIENOR study.

PURPOSE: To assess the associations of complement factor H (CFH) Y402H polymorphism and smoking with specific features of early AMD (type, location, and area). METHODS: The ALIENOR study is a population-based study of age-related eye diseases in 963 residents of Bordeaux (France), aged 73 years or more. AMD features were graded from nonmydriatic color retinal photographs. CFH Y402H was genotyped by using DNA extracted from blood. Statistical analyses included 796 subjects with complete data. RESULTS: CFH CC genotype was strongly associated with late neovascular AMD (OR, 6.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5-23.5) but not with late atrophic AMD (OR, 0.9; 95% CI, 0.2-4.3). Among early characteristics, it was associated with central soft drusen (within 500 µm of the fovea), whether of intermediate (63-125 µm; OR, 2.7; 95% CI, 1.5-4.8), or large (>125 µm; OR, 5.9; 95% CI, 2.2-15.7) size, but not with pericentral soft drusen (500-3000 µm from the fovea). It was also strongly associated with a large central area of soft drusen (OR, 5.7; 95% CI, 1.7-19.2). Similarly, heavy smoking (>20 pack-years) was strongly associated with central large drusen (OR, 3.9; 95% CI, 1.6-9.6) and a large central area of drusen (OR, 3.5; 95% CI, 1.2-10.0), but not with pericentral soft drusen. By contrast, both CFH CC and smoking tended to be more strongly associated with pericentral pigmentary abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS: Location of abnormalities, together with type and area, may prove useful for the identification of subjects at high risk for late AMD.

Reticular drusen associated with geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration.

PURPOSE: To characterize reticular drusen (RDR) in patients with geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in a prospective, multicenter, natural history study. METHODS: Confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy (cSLO) three-field fundus autofluorescence (FAF; exc., 488; em., 500-700 nm), near-infrared reflectance (IR; 820 nm), and blue reflectance (BR; 488 nm) images as well as red-free (RF) and color fundus (CF) camera photographs were recorded in 458 GA patients. The digital images were evaluated by two independent readers with subsequent senior reader arbitration for prevalence and topographic distribution of RDR using a modified Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study grid. RESULTS: RDR were detected with at least one cSLO modality in 286 of 458 (62%) patients in either eye (bilateral 207 [45%]) and were visible in fundus camera photographs in 66 of 371 (18%) patients (bilateral 48 [13%]). Prevalence of RDR by cSLO imaging was associated with increasing age (P = 0.007) and female sex (P = 0.007), but not with GA total lesion area (P = 0.38). Cohen kappa statistics showed good interobserver agreement for FAF (0.81) and IR (0.82) imaging modes, and moderate agreement was found for BR (0.48), RF (0.48), and CF (0.40). On three-field FAF images RDR were present most frequently superior to the fovea (99%). CONCLUSIONS: RDR represent a common phenotypic hallmark in GA eyes. RDR are readily identified using cSLO imaging technology. These observations may explain the high prevalence determined herein, in contrast to previous reports based on fundus photographs. Incorporation of these novel imaging modalities in future natural history studies may facilitate efforts aimed at defining the role and predictive value of RDR in the progression of AMD. (ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT00599846.)