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Vassilios P. Kozobolis, MD; Efstathios T. Detorakis, MD; Miltiadis K. Tsilimbaris, MD; Ioannis G. Vlachonikolis, PhD; Ioannis C. Tsambarlakis, MD; Ioannis G. Pallikaris, MD

Arch Ophthalmol. 1999;117:664-669.

Objective  To evaluate the epidemiological correlation between age-related macular degeneration and pseudoexfoliation syndrome in the inhabitants of the island of Crete (Greece).

Subjects and Methods  A total of 777 persons (315 men and 462 women, aged 40-99 years), representing a randomized sample (1.43%) of the Cretan population, underwent slitlamp and fundus examinations according to protocol. The results were statistically analyzed.

Results  The prevalence of pseudoexfoliation was 16.1% (21.3% in men and 12.6% in women) and that of maculopathy, 7.9% (11.7% in men and 5.2% in women). The conditions were significantly correlated with each other (P=.002). Also, both displayed a significant direct correlation with age and altitude (for pseudoexfoliation, P<.001 and P=.002 for age and altitude, respectively; for age-related macular degeneration, P<.001 for age and for altitude) and an increase in bilateral incidence with progressing age.

Conclusions  The observed prevalences of pseudoexfoliation and maculopathy were lower than those reported in the mainland of Greece and other Mediterranean regions. The correlation between age-related macular degeneration and pseudoexfoliation syndrome may be explained by the relationship of each disease with age and altitude.

From the Departments of Ophthalmology (Drs Kozobolis, Detorakis, Tsilimbaris, Tsambarlakis, and Pallikaris) and Social Medicine, Biostatistics Laboratory (Dr Vlachonikolis), Division of Medicine, University of Crete, School of Health Sciences; and Vardinoyannion Eye Institute of Crete (Drs Kozobolis, Detorakis, Tsilimbaris, Tsambarlakis, and Pallikaris), Hrákleion.

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