Prevalence and Visual Acuity Characteristics of Patients with Macular Telangiectasia.
Macular telangiectasia was found in 0.06% of adult eye care patients.
Prevalence and Visual Acuity Characteristics of Patients with Macular Telangiectasia.
Macular telangiectasia (MacTel) is a neurodegenerative retinal disease with progressive visual decline.
This was a retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at Kaiser Permanente Southern California that included patients over 18 years of age who underwent ophthalmology or optometry evaluations between January 1, 2020 and September 1, 2025.
macular telangiectasia, a retinal disease, was found in adult eye care patients
The mean age of patients with MacTel was 65.5 years (SD 11.2).
Compared to those between the ages of 18-39 (adjusted prevalence 0.01%), MacTel was more common in the 40-59 (adjusted prevalence 0.05%, OR 9.61 95% CI 6.39-14.45, p < 0.01) and ≥ 60 age groups (adjusted prevalence 0.10%, OR 20.36 95% CI 13.66-30.34, p < 0.001).
Mean visual acuity was 0.38 logMAR (~ 20/50) for all eyes, 0.23 logMAR (~ 20/40) in the better-seeing eye, and 0.53 logMAR (~ 20/70) in the worse-seeing eye.
Among all eyes, 26.8% had VA ≥ 20/25, 58.3% ≥ 20/40, 85.0% ≥ 20/80, 94.6% ≥ 20/200, and 5.4% < 20/200.
MacTel was identified in 0.06% of adults in this large diverse USA-based cohort. Visual acuity was symmetric between eyes, with an average of 20/40 in better-seeing eyes.
These findings provide contemporary real-world data to inform clinical understanding and research.
Demographic differences in disease prevalence highlight the need to ensure diverse patient representation in future studies and clinical outreach.