Childhood Eye Diseases in Bayelsa State, Nigeria: A Tertiary Eye Centre Study

Abstract

Data is not yet available on the spectrum of childhood eye diseases in Bayelsa state.For purposes of planning eye care services especially for children,data is needed in this regard.This study was therefore undertaken to provide this information. A retrospective review was conducted on all new cases less than 16 years old who presented to the eye clinic of the Niger Delta University Teaching Hospital over a period of two years and five months (January, 2008 to May, 2010). All the patients were previously seen by an ophthalmologist who documented the findings after a full ocular examination including the external eye and anterior segement using a bright pen light and a slit lamp biomicroscope (Haag-Streit) and a posterior segement examination using a direct and indirect ophthalmoscopes (KeelerR) as necessary. Those requiring refraction was sent to the optometrist. Objective refraction was done using a Carl Zeiss 599 autorefractometer and this was followed by a subjective refraction.Cycloplegic refraction using 1% atropine was done for selected cases. Information extracted from the patients records included their age, sex and diagnosis made. A total of 193 cases were reviewed consisting of 100 males (51.9%) and 93 females (48.2%), giving a male to female ratio of 1.1:1. Their ages ranged from 2 weeks to 15 years with a mean of 5.9 years (SD±1.653). Conjunctivitis was the commonest eye disease (30.1%) consisting of 19.7% of allergic and 10.4% of the infective component. Other diseases in descending order of occurrence includes refractive error (23.9%), cataract (10.4%), cornea diseases (9.9%), diseases of the eyelid (5.7%), ocular trauma and uveitis (5.2% each), phtisis bulbi (2.1%), optic atrophy, conjunctiva papilloma and cortical blindness 1.6% each ), squint and diseases of the lacrimal apparatus (1.0% each) and panophthalmitis and congenital anophthalmos (0.5%
each). Conjunctivitis, refractive error and cataract were the predominant causes of ocular morbidity in this population. Improvement in the ocular health status of this group must give priority attention to these diseases.

Key words: Childhood, Bayelsa, conjunctivitis, refractive error, eye diseases, cataract.