Hi, tamco-ga,
The question is a bit difficult because the topic is so vast.
“Inflammatory diseases of the eye” covers everything from allergic
conjunctivitis to conditions such as uveitis that are extremely
serious and often result in blindness. Most studies look at a small
part of this picture, so finding data that applies to the whole is not
easy – as justaskscott-ga said.
What I’ve tried to do is give both the overall statistical references
that I was able to tease out and then sort out the rest by topic. Many
of these references do not contain statistics, but they do have solid
information on the topic.
(Articles available in the emedicine database require a free
registration.)
One short reference from XOMA – a pharmaceutical company - gives a
statistic for 1999
Disease: Eye Infections
Incidence: ~10 million severe cases/year U.S.
http://www.xoma.com/AR99/2medtarg.html
Notice that they are discussing SEVERE cases. You’ll see below a
reference to allergic conjunctivitis that adds ~ 22 million to this
number
Over 22 million Americans suffer from allergies, and most of those
also have allergic conjunctivitis, according to the American Academy
of Ophthalmology.
http://www.allaboutvision.com/conditions/allergies.htm
Uveitis, Anterior, Nongranulomatous
Last Updated: May 9, 2001 gives annual U. S. incidence rate as
approximately 8 cases per 100,000 population.
The population of the U.S. on April 1, 2000 was 281,421,906.
That would make the annual incidence of this inflammatory eye disease
~22,000.
http://www.emedicine.com/oph/topic587.htm
Scleritis
The figures available in this report are relative related to specific
institutions.
The incidence is “not common” with 42% developing Uveitis as a
complication of this condition.
http://www.emedicine.com/oph/topic642.htm
If we assume that 22, 000 is 42% of the incidence of this disease, it
works out to an annual incidence of ~53,000. That would mean that
75,000 cases are reported per year in the US.
Both uveitis and scleritis are considered severe cases of inflammatory
eye disease and would be included in the original figures quoted.
In terms of over all report it would seem reasonable to give a figure
of ~32,000,000 as the annual incidence of inflammatory eye disease
in the United States.
Conjunctivitis
Although this 1998 article does not include any good figures, it does
cover the various types and causes of inflammatory diseases of the eye
extremely well.
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m3225/n4_v57/20383461/p1/article.jhtml
There are, at any one time, approximately 115,000 cases of Pediatric
Uveitis in the United States, with 2,250 new cases occurring each
year.
http://www.uveitis.org/Enhanced/Support/newsletter/nl9v3n1.htm
Randomized Trial of Acetazolamide for Uveitis-Associated Cystoid
Macular Edema
Uveitis, an intraocular inflammatory disease, is the cause of about 10
percent of visual impairment in the United States.
http://www.nei.nih.gov/neitrials/static/study11.htm
Management of chronic uveitis
This from the British Medical Journal - Of people aged under 65 who
are registered legally blind, 10% are visually compromised because of
uveitis and its complications. The same figures were reported in
American references.
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0999/7234_320/60129427/p1/article.jhtml
“Conjunctivitis has worldwide distribution, affecting all ages, races,
social strata, and both genders. In the United States, its prevalence
rate for patients ages 1-74 was 13 in 1,000, according to the National
Health Survey conducted in 1971-1972.”
OPTOMETRIC CLINICAL PRACTICE GUIDELINE
CARE OF THE PATIENT WITH CONJUNCTIVITIS
Reference Guide for Clinicians
Prepared by the American Optometric Association Consensus Panel on
Care of the Patient with Conjunctivitis:
http://www.aoa.org/conditions/docs/CPG11%20Conjunctivitis.doc
Don't overlook possible orbital inflammatory pseudotumor: Clinical
history, ocular exam help differentiate conditions associated with
proptosis, pain, red eye.
“Inflammatory disorders of the orbit account for more than half of
orbital diseases. Thyroid-associated orbital disease accounts for 50%
of all orbital inflammation. Aside from thyroid or infectious orbital
diseases, inflammatory orbital pseudotumor accounts for most
idiopathic causes of orbital inflammation, making up 5% to 8% of all
orbital lesions. It accounts for about 16% of all cases of unilateral
proptosis in adults.
The incidence of this disease entity is equal between males and
females. There is no racial preference. It most commonly presents
between the third and fifth decades of life; however, children and
older adults can also be affected. Although orbital inflammatory
pseudotumor is usually unilateral, in children, bilaterality is more
common and has been reported in 45% of pediatric patients with this
condition.”
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0VEY/5_27/85500584/p1/article.jhtml
Topical cyclosporine targets dry eye disease.
"This is the big external disease story of 2000. Previously, I
perceived inflammation as a causal factor of dry eye only in patients
with Sjogren's syndrome, and consequently it was only for these
patients where treatment with an immunomodulatory agent made sense,"
said Dr. McDonnell, Irving H. Leopold Professor and Chair, Doheny Eye
Institute, at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in
Vision and Ophthalmology here.
"The fact that an inflammatory process involving the lacrimal gland
and ocular surface also mediates non-Sjogren's dry eye was news to me,
but indicates the need to reorient our thinking about management," he
said.
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0VEY/12_25/62879617/p1/article.jhtml
Agennix Signs Partnership With Santen
“…dry eye disease, a common cause of eye irritation and impaired
vision, affecting approximately 22 million people worldwide.
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m0EIN/1999_Feb_24/53943489/p1/article.jhtml
Pharmos' Lotemax(R) Advances to #2 Branded Position in the U.S.
Anti-inflammatory Eye Drug Market.
Discusses drugs used to treat inflammatory eye diseases.
http://www.findarticles.com/cf_0/m4PRN/1999_Oct_6/56014557/p1/article.jhtml
Search terms used:
annual incidence eye disease US
incidence inflammatory eye disease
If this information is not exactly what you were looking for, please
post a clarification so that I can revise the search to meet your
specific needs.
Thanks for an interesting and challenging question!
bcguide-ga |
