K N Malu1. 1. Adoose Specialist Hospital, Jos Plateau State, Nigeria. keziahmalu@gmail.com
Abstract
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the pattern of visual impairment and blindness in patients seen at a hospital in North Central Nigeria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All new eye patients seen at Adoose Specialist Hospital, Jos, North Central Nigeria with conditions potentially leading to blindness and visual impairment over a ten year period were studied.The patients' demographic information, diagnosis and visual acuity were retrieved from the records. RESULTS: A total of 2536 patients were reviewed. There were 1315 (51.9%) males. Bilateral blindness was seen in 279 (11.0%) of the patients. Visual impairment was seen in 745 (29.4%) patients. Severe visual impairment (SVI) was seen in 4(0.2%), moderate (MoVI) in 225 (8.9%) and mild (MVI) in 237(9.3%). Blindness and visual impairment increased significantly with age. Blindness was most prevalent among the farmers (40.2%), followed by the house wives (24.4%). It was attributable to refractive error in 33.3%, cataract in 28.3%, glaucoma in 13.3%, posterior segment disease in 8.2%, glaucoma/cataract in 7.9%, cataract/posterior segment disease in 1.8%, trauma and uveitis each in 1.4%, with other ocular conditions (affecting the globe) seen in 1.1% and corneal disorders in 0.7%. Proportionately more males had glaucoma, trauma, corneal disorders and posterior segment disease, while females predominated with refractive error, conjunctivitis and cataract. CONCLUSIONS: Refractive error, cataract and glaucoma were the major causes of blindness, underpinning the significance of these conditions in ocular morbidity.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To determine the pattern of visual impairment and blindness in patients seen at a hospital in North Central Nigeria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All new eye patients seen at Adoose Specialist Hospital, Jos, North Central Nigeria with conditions potentially leading to blindness and visual impairment over a ten year period were studied.The patients' demographic information, diagnosis and visual acuity were retrieved from the records. RESULTS: A total of 2536 patients were reviewed. There were 1315 (51.9%) males. Bilateral blindness was seen in 279 (11.0%) of the patients. Visual impairment was seen in 745 (29.4%) patients. Severe visual impairment (SVI) was seen in 4(0.2%), moderate (MoVI) in 225 (8.9%) and mild (MVI) in 237(9.3%). Blindness and visual impairment increased significantly with age. Blindness was most prevalent among the farmers (40.2%), followed by the house wives (24.4%). It was attributable to refractive error in 33.3%, cataract in 28.3%, glaucoma in 13.3%, posterior segment disease in 8.2%, glaucoma/cataract in 7.9%, cataract/posterior segment disease in 1.8%, trauma and uveitis each in 1.4%, with other ocular conditions (affecting the globe) seen in 1.1% and corneal disorders in 0.7%. Proportionately more males had glaucoma, trauma, corneal disorders and posterior segment disease, while females predominated with refractive error, conjunctivitis and cataract. CONCLUSIONS: Refractive error, cataract and glaucoma were the major causes of blindness, underpinning the significance of these conditions in ocular morbidity.