The importance of keeping a broad differential in retina clinic: the spectrum of ophthalmic disease seen by retina specialists in a tertiary outpatient clinic setting.

BACKGROUND AND

OBJECTIVE

To describe the new patient population referred to retina specialists at tertiary ophthalmic academic centers in the United States.

STUDY DESIGN AND

METHODS

Retrospective chart review of all new patients seen by retina specialists at Stanford University from 2008 to 2011.

RESULTS

Retina specialists saw 7,197 new patients during the study period, with a mean age of 52.2 ± 25.6 years (range: 0 to 108 years). Younger patients (0 to 10 years) were more likely male (P < .001) while older patients were more likely female (P < .01 for 61 to 70, 81+ years). The most common diagnoses were diabetic eye disease (17.0%), retinopathy of prematurity (9.9%) and age-related macular degeneration (9.5%).

CONCLUSION

Retina specialists treat patients of all ages, and the most common diagnoses vary with age and gender. Patients present to retinal clinic with a vast spectrum of disease from various ophthalmic and systemic etiologies; therefore, it is important to maintain a broad differential diagnosis.