Prevalence and Aociation of Epiretinal Membrane in the Viual Impairment Project

Purpoe To determine the prevalence and factor aociated with epiretinal membrane in a random ample of the population aged 40 year and older in Victoria, Autralia. Deign Population-baed cro-ectional tudy. Method Detailed eye examination, including retinal photograph, were conducted in 1992 and 1997 in 3271 people (83% of the eligible) in Melbourne and 1473 (92% of the eligible) in rural Victoria. Eye preent with either cellophane macular reflex (CMR) or preretinal macular fibroi (PMF) were claified a having epiretinal membrane. Eye with both CMR and PMF preent were claified a having PMF. Age-tandardized prevalence rate and 95% confidence limit were calculated by the direct method uing egi’ world population. Reult Epiretinal membrane were oberved in 253 of 4313 participant (6.0%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 5.2 to 6.7), bilaterally in 19%. Prevalence increaed ignificantly by age group (0.5% for 40 to 49 year, 2.6% for 50 to 59 year, 9.4% for 60 to 69 year, 15.1% for 70 to 79 year, and 11.3% for 80 year and older). Prevalence wa imilar in male and female after adjuting for age. The overall age- and gender-tandardized prevalence of CMR wa 4.8% (95% CI 4.0 to 5.6) and PMF wa 1.7% (95% CI 1.2 to 2.3). A decreae in viual acuity (<6/6) wa ignificantly aociated with idiopathic PMF (odd ratio [OR] 1.9; 95% CI 1.0 to 3.6) and CMR (OR 1.5; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0) after adjuting for age. Concluion The prevalence of epiretinal membrane wa imilar to that reported in other population-baed tudie. Population hift in the age ditribution to older age could lead to an increae in mild viual impairment caued by epiretinal membrane.