Incidence And Prevalence Of Recurrent Corneal Erosion Syndrome In London, United Kingdom
Published 2022
- 40th Congress of the ESCRS
Reference: FPT02.04
| Type: Free paper
| DOI:
10.82333/hwhp-ng30
Authors:
Sam Aryee* 1
, Shafi Balal 2
, Sajjad Ahmad 2
, Anant Sharma 3
1Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust,Bedford,United Kingdom, 2Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust,London,United Kingdom;UCL Institute of Ophthalmology,London,United Kingdom, 3Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust,Bedford,United Kingdom
Purpose
Recurrent corneal erosion syndrome (RCES) is caused by repeated episodes of corneal epithelial breakdown which usually happens on waking or during the night. This is due to improper adherence of the corneal epithelium to the underlying basement membrane and is mainly associated with corneal dystrophy or previous superficial ocular trauma. It frequently leads to eye pain, redness and photophobia. The incidence and prevalence of the condition is not currently known. The aim of this study is to determine the incidence and prevalence of RCES within the London population over a 5-year period in order to better inform clinicians and evaluate how this condition affects ophthalmic service provision.
Setting
This retrospective cohort study was conducted in Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust, London, United Kingdom.
Methods
487,690 patient attendances to Moorfields Eye Hospital London were reviewed over a 5-year period between 1st January 2015 and 31st December 2019. Patients with RCES were identified through a search of the following diagnosis codes: ‘RCES’, ‘RCE’ or ‘recurrent corneal erosion’. Their demographics, comorbidities and past surgical histories were collected using OpenEyesTM electronic medical records and the incidence and prevalence of RCES was extrapolated accordingly.
Results
Out of a total of 330,684 patients who attended the investigation site during the study period, 3,623 were newly diagnosed with corneal erosion syndrome and 1,056 presented with a recurrence. The crude annual incidence of RCES was estimated at 25.37 per 100,000, with a crude prevalence rate of 0.96% during the study period. There was no statistical difference in incidence year on year across this 5-year period.
Conclusions
This study shows that RCES is a relatively common condition amongst the study population in London. Its annual incidence remained stable year on year. However, minor cases may heal prior to their presentation. It is therefore likely that RCES is underdiagnosed and therefore under-reported in this study.