Aim: The present study aims to ascertain whether there are seasonal variations in the occurrence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment at the beginning of the 21st century, compare these results with seasonal variations observed in the literature for the 20th century, and determine whether current general lifestyle changes in terms of the increased use of visual media (TV, PC) and a decrease in outdoor activity influence seasonal patterns of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.
Method: A quantitative retrospective analysis of 2605 surgical protocols of retinal detachment repair procedures performed at the eye clinic of the Johannes Gutenberg University, Mainz, Germany, between 1998 and 2008 was carried out.
Results: Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment was diagnosed in 1490 cases and, as such, was the most frequently occurring type of retinal detachment during the selected period of time (p = 0.001). A seasonal distribution was detected with statistically significant maximum and minimum incidences in July and October, respectively, (p = 0.008). These results are consistent with the findings of large studies conducted in the 20(th) century that observed a maximum in the summer months and a minimum in the winter months. Furthermore, in the period between 2003 and 2008 significantly more rhegmatogenous retinal detachments were observed than from 1998 to 2002 (p = 0.001). During school holiday periods 1.43% fewer rhegmatogenous retinal detachments were observed than had been estimated statistically. The increased number of hours of sunlight and increased average monthly temperatures had no significant impact on the occurrence of rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.
Conclusion: Current changes in lifestyle in terms of the increased use of visual media and a decrease in outdoor activity do not appear to have influenced the seasonal variation in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment. Factors other than light intensity and average temperature that have not yet been evaluated appear to be the cause of these seasonal variations.