A nationwide study on the incidence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in Denmark, with emphasis on the risk of the fellow eye.

PURPOSE

To estimate the risk of developing rhegmatogenous retinal detachment (RRD) in the fellow eye in patients with RRD in the first eye and to identify potential risk factors.

METHODS

We used the Danish National Patient Registry to identify all surgeries performed for RRD in Denmark in the period from January 2000 to July 2011.

RESULTS

In 11,451 cases of RRD in the study period, 8,553 cases in 8,081 patients were identified as primary RRD with an annual incidence of 13.7 per 100,000 citizens. There was a significant increase in the number of cases with RRD during the study period that was mainly explained by an increase of cataract surgeries. Four hundred and seventy-one of 7,941 patients with primary RRD on one eye and no other previous eye disease developed an additional RRD in the fellow eye with an overall incidence of 1% per year. Cox analysis revealed male gender, surgery on the lens, and young age as significant risk factors (P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSION

Patients with RRD on the first eye have a 100 times greater risk of developing RRD on the second eye, and the risk increases with male gender and surgery on the lens but decreases with age.