Retinal characteristics in eyes with pathologic myopia among individuals self-identifying as black.

PURPOSE: Investigate retinal characteristics of pathologic myopia (PM) among patients self-identifying as black.

DESIGN: Retrospective cohort single-institution retrospective medical record review.

METHODS: Adult patients between January 2005 and December 2014 with International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes consistent with PM and given 5-year follow-up were evaluated. The study group consisted of patients self-identifying as black, and the comparison group consisted of those not self-identifying as black. Ocular features at study baseline and 5-year follow-up visit were evaluated.

RESULTS: Among 428 patients with PM, 60 (14%) self-identified as black and 18 (30%) had baseline and 5-year follow-up visits. Of the remaining 368 patients, 63 were in the comparison group. For the study (n = 18) and comparison groups (n = 29), median (25th percentile, 75th percentile) baseline visual acuity was 20/40 (20/25, 20/50) and 20/32 (20/25, 20/50) in the better-seeing eye and 20/70 (20/50, 20/1400) and 20/100 (20/50, 20/200), respectively, in the worse-seeing eye. In the eyes that did not have choroidal neovascularization (CNV) in the study and comparison groups, median study baseline optical coherence tomography central subfield thickness was 196 μm (169, 306 μm) and 225 μm (191, 280 μm), respectively, in the better-seeing eye and 208 μm (181, 260 μm) and 194 μm (171, 248 μm), respectively, in the worse-seeing eye. Baseline prevalence of CNV was 1 study group eye (3%) and 20 comparison group eyes (34%). By the 5-year visit, zero (0%) and 4 (15%) additional eyes had CNV in the study and comparison groups, respectively.

CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that the prevalence and incidence of CNV may be lower in patients with PM self-identifying as black when compared with individuals of other races.