Tasmanian macular hole study: whole population-based incidence of full thickness macular hole

Purpose: To determine the incidence of full thickness macular hole in the Tasmanian population.

Design: A whole population retrospective case series in Tasmania, Australia.

Methods: Patients diagnosed with full thickness macular hole (confirmed by optical coherence tomography (OCT) imaging) of both idiopathic and secondary causes were identified from April 2005 to April 2011 by a sole vitreoretinal surgeon servicing Tasmania. Baseline characteristics were recorded. The six-year incidence rate was calculated, based on the 2006 and 2011 Tasmanian census data. Incidence rates were age and sex standardized.

Participants: One hundred forty-seven eyes of 136 patients.

Main Outcome Measures: To determine the incidence (age and sex standardized) of full thickness macular holes in Tasmania, Australia.

Results: Idiopathic macular holes comprised 128 (87.1%). There were 116 cases of idiopathic Full Thickness Macular Hole in one or both eyes between 1 April 2005 and 31 April 2011. The six-year incidence of idiopathic full-thickness macular holes was 24.3 per 100 000 people, 4.05 per 100 000 per year, with the highest six-year incidence observed among women aged 70-79 years.

Conclusion: This is the first global study to report OCT confirmed incidence rates of full thickness macular holes in a relatively static Australian population sub-group.