Brief communication: Unilateral blindness and low vision due to strabismic amblyopia

Abstract

To assess the magnitude of unilateral blindness or low vision caused by strabismic amblyopia in astrabismic population, a prospective study was conducted between November 15, 1995 and March 20, 1997 at Menelik II Hospital. The visual acuity of 361 patients with strabismus was evaluated. The average age of persentation was 15.8 years. Visual acuity of less than or equal to 3/60 in the involved eye was considered as blind, while visual acuity better than 3/60 and less than or equal to 6/18 was regarded as low vision. Forty one (11%) patients had unilateral blindness and 72(20%) had low vision in the amblyopic eye. In conclusion, unilateral blindness or low vision as a result of strabismic amblyopia was significant among strabismic patients, especially when the age of persentation of our cases was considered. This calls for health education to increase public awareness so that parents seek medical advice early for their strabismic children.


(Ethiopian Journal of Health Development: 2000, 14(1): 109-112)