原発性定型網膜色素変性の全国調査成績

Nationwide survey of typical retinitis pigmentosa in Japan

　厚生省特定疾患網膜脈絡膜萎縮症調査研究班と難病の疫学調査研究班の共同研究として実施された定型網膜色素変性の全国調査成績を示した。調査対象施設は全国の眼科標榜医療施設で，200床以上の病院が1,282施設，200床未満の病院が644施設である。調査方法は1990年4月1日から同年9月30日までに本症受診患者を登録する留置調査である。本症の報告患者数は6,545（男3,077，女3,439，不明29）で，200床以上の病院からの報告数は200床未満の病院からの報告数の約2.2倍であった（回収率37.7％）。男性では50歳台に，女性では60歳台にピークを示した。身体障害者手帳の所持者は報告患者の約1／4であった。年間の本症病院受療患者数は全国で最大約23,000人と推計された。

This is a final report of the nationwide epidemiological survey of typical retinitis pig-mentosa (RP) that was carried out in 1990 by a joint Research Committee on Chorioretinal Degen-erations and Epidemiology of Intractable Diseases sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan. A survey questionnaire designed to estimate the annual number of RP patients and to study their current sociomedical status was disseminated in March, 1990, to 1,926 hospitals with ophthalmic service (1,282 with over 200 inpatients and 644 with less than 200 inpatients), and 37.7% of the institu-tions replied to requests to register RP patients during a six-month period from April 1 to Septem-ber 30, 1990. A total of 6,545 patients (male, 3,077; female, 3,439; unknown, 29) were regis-tered. The annual number of RP patients in Japan was estimated to be 23,000 at most. The mode of patients' age was 50-59 years for males and 60-69 years for females, suggesting a recent relative increase of elderly patients. The number of regis-tered patients from hospitals with over 200 in-patients was about 2. 2 times larger than that from those with less than 200 inpatients. About one fourth of the registered patients were physically handicapped and received the socioeconomic ser-vice by the Disabled Persons Welfare Law.