Clinical profile and demographic distribution of pseudoexfoliation syndrome: An electronic medical record-driven big data analytics from an eye care network in India

• Published in: Indian journal of ophthalmology Vol. 71; no. 7; pp. 2746 - 2755
• Main Authors: Warjri, Gazella, Das, Anthony, Senthil, Sirisha
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01.07.2023; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Wolters Kluwer - Medknow; Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
• Subjects: Big data; Cataracts; Demographic aspects; Demography; Diagnosis; Distribution; Electronic health records; Electronic medical records; Electronic records; Eye diseases; Eye lens; Glaucoma; Health aspects; india; Medical records; Medical research; Medicine, Experimental; Ophthalmology; Original; Patients; pseudoexfoliation syndrome; Socioeconomic factors; Visual impairment; India; Big data; electronic medical records; pseudoexfoliation syndrome; India
• ISSN: 0301-4738; 1998-3689
• DOI: 10.4103/IJO.IJO_2619_22

Purpose: To describe the demographics and clinical profile of pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXF or PES) in patients presenting to a multi-tier ophthalmology hospital network in India. Methods: This cross-sectional hospital-based study included 3,082,727 new patients presenting between August 2010 and December 2021. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of PXF in at least one eye were included as cases. The data were collected using an electronic medical record system. Results: Overall, 23,223 (0.75%) patients were diagnosed with PXF. The majority of the patients were male (67.08%) and had unilateral (60.96%) affliction. The most common age group at presentation was during the seventh decade of life with 9,495 (40.89%) patients. The overall prevalence was higher in patients from a lower socio-economic status (1.48%) presenting from the urban geography (0.84%) and in retired individuals (3.61%). The most common location of the PXF material was the pupillary margin (81.01%) followed by the iris (19.15%). The majority of the eyes had mild or no visual impairment (<20/70) in 12,962 (40.14%) eyes. PXF glaucoma was documented in 7,954 (24.63%) eyes. Krukenberg's spindle was found in 64 (0.20%) eyes, phacodonesis in 328 (1.02%) eyes, and lens subluxation in 299 (0.93%) eyes. Among the surgical interventions, cataract surgery was performed in 8,363 (25.9%) eyes, trabeculectomy was performed in 966 (2.99%) eyes, and a combined procedure in 822 (2.55%) eyes. Conclusion: PXF more commonly affects males presenting during the seventh decade of life from lower socio-economic status and is predominantly unilateral. A quarter of the affected eyes are associated with glaucoma and the majority of the eyes have mild or no visual impairment.