Prevalence and characteristics of choroidal nevi: The multi-ethnic study of atherosclerosis

Abstract

Objective: To describe the prevalence of choroidal nevi in 4 racial or ethnic groups (white, black, Hispanic, and Chinese) in the United States. Design: Cross-sectional study. Participants: Participants of the second examination of the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA), involving 6176 persons 44 to 84 years of age without clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline selected from 6 United States communities. Methods: Fundus images were taken using a 45° digital camera through dark-adapted pupils and were graded for choroidal nevi using the modified Wisconsin Age-Related Maculopathy Grading System and the Blue Mountains Eye Study protocol. Main Outcome Measures: Choroidal nevi. Results: The overall prevalence of choroidal nevi in the whole cohort was 2.1%, with prevalences higher in whites (4.1%) than blacks (0.7%), Hispanics (1.2%), and Chinese (0.4%; P