Macular diseases in Ibadan, Nigeria

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Retinal Diseases
• Public Health in Developing Nations

Background:

• Retina diseases, particularly macular conditions, are underreported in sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria.
• Understanding the prevalence and causes of macular diseases is crucial for public health initiatives in the region.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence and common causes of macular diseases presenting at a tertiary eye clinic in Nigeria.
• To identify emerging causes of macular disease in the Nigerian population.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective review of retinal register data from December 2015 to November 2019.
• Analysis of demographic and clinical data for 322 patients diagnosed with macula diseases.
• Statistical analysis using SPSS-IBM version 22, reporting frequency distributions and percentages.

Main Results:

• Macular diseases constituted 24.9% of all retinal cases (322 out of 1291).
• The most common causes were dry Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) (19.6%), macular edema (16.5%), and non-AMD atrophic maculopathy (15.9%).
• Macular holes (14.9%), non-AMD macular scars (11.5%), choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) (8.1%), and idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (IPCV) (5.3%) were also significant.

Conclusions:

• Age-related macular degeneration (AMD), macular edema, and non-AMD atrophic maculopathy are the primary causes of macular disease presentation in Ibadan, Nigeria.
• Choroidal neovascular membrane (CNVM) and idiopathic polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (IPCV) are identified as emerging causes of macular disease.