Ocular morbidity of pathological myopia
The epidemic of myopia is a public health concern, particularly in East Asia (Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Japan).14 In Singapore, the prevalence of myopia is one of the highest worldwide, affecting 9% to 15% preschool children,57 29 primary school children,8 70 of high school students,9 80% in military conscripts,10,11 and almost 90% of medical students. 12 The Tanjong Pagar Survey first suggested that the prevalence of myopia (0.5 D) in Chinese adults 40 years and older was nearly twice the rates in similarly aged Caucasian populations, including the Melbourne Visual Impairment Project.13,14 Furthermore, compared to ethnic Malays, the Chinese in Singapore have a higher prevalence of myopia (37.8 versus 33.3).13,15 A large proportion of Singaporeans have pathological myopia (6 D), which has been observed across the whole age range spectrum,16 including 15% of Singapore's military conscript population.11 The prevalence of high myopia is especially significant in parts of East Asia, with rates of 921, compared with 24 in Caucasians.10 In the Tanjong Pagar Eye Study, Chinese women had significantly higher rates of high myopia than men, with bimodal age pattern of myopia, higher prevalence in the 40 to 49 and 70 to 81 age groups, and lower prevalence between those age ranges.13 In comparison, the prevalence of pathological myopia (7.9 D) is less than 0.4% in most Western countries.
