Ligneous Conjunctivitis: prevalence of the disease in the world (verified cases)
The prevalence of (heterozygous) type I plasminogen
deficiency has been recently calculated as 0.26% (25 of 9,611 subjects) in a large epidemiological study
in the United Kingdom.The theoretically predicted prevalence of homozygotes/compound-heterozygotes would therefore be in the range of 1.6
per 1,000,000 people. If we further assume that the majority of cases of ligneous conjunctivitis are
due to homozygous or compound-heterozygous type I plasminogen deficiency (discussed later in the
review), the prevalence of ligneous conjunctivitis may be roughly estimated in a similar range,that is,
1.6 × 10(-6), at least in European countries.
In countries where consanguinity is found more frequently
(namely, Turkey and others) the prevalence of ligneous conjunctivitis may be higher. Further epidemiologic
studies should be able to evaluate the correct frequency of distinct plasminogen gene mutations associated
with ligneous conjunctivitis in different
parts of the world.
Volker Schuster, MD,(1) and Stefan Seregard, MD, PhD(2)
(1)Department of Pediatrics, Leipzig University Medical School, Leipzig, Germany; and (2)Ophthalmic Pathology and Oncology
Service, Saint Eriks Eye Hospital and Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Fonte: www.budoniambiente.org/meyer (2007)