Macular Diseases Among Patients at Abia State University Teaching Hospital: A Retrospective Analysis

Macular diseases constitute an increasingly important cause of visual impairment in Nigerian tertiary settings, particularly as the population ages and the prevalence of systemic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension rises. This study analyses the pattern of macular diseases among patients attending the eye clinic at Abia State University Teaching Hospital (ABSUTH), Aba, South East Nigeria. A retrospective descriptive study will be conducted by reviewing clinical records of all patients diagnosed with macular pathology over a four-year period from 2020 to 2023. Data extracted will include age, sex, diagnosis (including diabetic macular oedema, age-related macular degeneration, central serous chorioretinopathy, and macular hole), presenting visual acuity, treatment received, and follow-up compliance. Descriptive statistics will characterise the profile of presentations. Macular diseases remain underdiagnosed at many Nigerian secondary and tertiary facilities due to limited access to optical coherence tomography and fluorescein angiography. Diabetic macular oedema is expected to dominate given high diabetes prevalence in South East Nigeria. This study provides ABSUTH-specific data to support the ophthalmology unit in planning diagnostic equipment procurement and specialist training. Recommendations will also address patient education on early reporting of central visual disturbance, glycaemic control, and blood pressure management as primary prevention strategies. Improving the diagnostic and therapeutic capacity for macular disease at ABSUTH will have significant implications for the visual prognosis of a growing number of patients in Abia State. Keywords: macular disease, diabetic maculopathy, AMD, ABSUTH Aba, retinal imaging