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Ching Hui Ng, MBBS; Jie Jin Wang, MMed, PhD; Paul Mitchell, MD, PhD; F. M. Amirul Islam, PhD; Tien Y. Wong, MD, PhD

Arch Ophthalmol. 2009;127(3):314-319.

Objective  To describe the prevalence and characteristics of choroidal nevi in an Asian population and compare this with findings from a white population.

Methods  The Singapore Malay Eye Study (SiMES) examined a population-based, cross-sectional, age-stratified, random sample of 3280 Malay persons (78.7% participation rate) aged 40 to 80 years living in Singapore. Comprehensive examination of participants included bilateral retinal photography. Choroidal nevi were graded from photographs using the Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) protocol.

Results  The person-specific prevalence of choroidal nevi was 1.4%, with 50 nevi found in 45 participants. This is lower than the 6.5% prevalence seen in white persons in the BMES. However, characteristics of nevi in Malay persons in the SiMES were similar to those of white persons in the BMES by size (SiMES, 1.27 mm; BMES, 1.25 mm; P = .35), shape (P = .58), color (P = .39), location within posterior pole or periphery (P = .30), and nevus margin proximity to the optic disc (P = .29). Features previously identified as indicating growth or malignant potential (including diameter >6 mm, posterior margin touching optic disc, orange pigment, pigment clumping, and retinal edema) were not found in this sample.

Conclusion  Choroidal nevi were detected in 1.4% of Malay persons. There were no significant racial or ethnic differences in nevi characteristics between Malay and white persons.

Author Affiliations: Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia (Drs Ng, Wang, Mitchell, Amirul Islam, and Wong); Centre for Vision Research, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia (Drs Wang and Mitchell); Singapore Eye Research Institute, Singapore National Eye Centre, Singapore (Dr Wong); Department of Ophthalmology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore (Dr Wong).

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