Prevalence of optic disc haemorrhages in an elderly UK Caucasian population and possible association with reticular pseudodrusen—the Bridlington Eye Assessment Project (BEAP): a cross-sectional study (2002–2006)

Wilde, Craig; Poostchi, Ali; Narendran, Rajesh; MacNab, Hamish K.; Hillman, Jonathan G.; Alexander, Phillip; Amoaku, Winfried M.; Vernon, Stephen A.

Abstract

Aims: To determine disc haemorrhages (DH) prevalence in an elderly UK population-the Bridlington Eye Assessment Project (BEAP).
Methods: Thirty-degree (30°) fundus photographs (3549 participants ≥65 years) were graded for DH/macula changes. Glaucoma evaluation included Goldmann tonometry, 26-point suprathreshold visual-fields and mydriatic slit-lamp assessment for glaucomatous optic neuropathy.
Results: 3548 participants with photographs in at least one eye. DH were present in 53 subjects (1.49%), increasing from 1.17% (65-69-year age-group) to 2.19% (80-84-year age53 group), p=0.06. DH was found in 9/96 (9.38%) right eyes (RE) with open angle glaucoma (OAG). Two of twelve RE (16.67%) with normal tension glaucoma (NTG) had DH. Prevalence in eyes without glaucoma was lower (32/3452, [0.93%]). Reticular pseudodrusen (RPD) occurred in 170/3212 (5.29%) subjects without DH, and 8/131 subjects (6.11%) with OAG. Twenty (20) eyes had normal tension glaucoma (NTG), 2 of whom had RPD (10%) (p=0.264). Within a logistic regression model, DH was associated with glaucoma (OR 10.2, 95% CI 5.32 - 19.72) and increasing age (OR 1.05, 95% CI 1.00-1.10, p=0.03). DH was associated with RPD (p=0.05) with univariate analysis but this was not statistically significant in the final adjusted model. There was no significant association with gender, diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension treatment or AMD grade.
Conclusion: DH prevalence is 1.5% in those over 65 years old and significantly associated with glaucoma and increasing age. There appears to be increased RPD prevalence in eyes with DH and NTG with age acting as a confounding factor. Larger studies are required to fully assess the relationship and investigate a possible shared aetiology of choroidal ischaemia.

Citation

Wilde, C., Poostchi, A., Narendran, R., MacNab, H. K., Hillman, J. G., Alexander, P., Amoaku, W. M., & Vernon, S. A. (2019). Prevalence of optic disc haemorrhages in an elderly UK Caucasian population and possible association with reticular pseudodrusen—the Bridlington Eye Assessment Project (BEAP): a cross-sectional study (2002–2006). Eye, 33(4), 580-586. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-018-0263-4

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 27, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Nov 1, 2018
• Publication Date: 2019-04
• Deposit Date: Apr 16, 2019
• Publicly Available Date: May 2, 2019
• Journal: Eye
• Print ISSN: 0950-222X
• Electronic ISSN: 1476-5454
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 33
• Issue: 4
• Pages: 580-586
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41433-018-0263-4
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1815704
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41433-018-0263-4
• Contract Date: Apr 16, 2019