Incidence of ocular congenital anomalies in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to report the pattern and incidence of congenital eye defects among patients seen in a semi-urban academic tertiary referral institution.

Methodology: We reviewed all consecutive new patients with congenital abnormality seen between January 1998 and December 2003 at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife, Nigeria Data was analyzed using simple descriptive statistics on SPSS statistical package version 10.

Results: A total of 189 patients with congenital defects were seen during the study period, of which 31(16.4%) had congenital eye defects {male 16(51.6%), female 15 (48.4%)} with a male to female ratio of 1:1. Their ages at presentation ranged from 1 day to 23 years with mean age± SD at 1.6 years ±0.5 years. Congenital eye defects seen were congenital cataracts 6(19.4%), microphthalmia 5(16.1%), nasolacrimal duct obstruction 4(12.9%), congenital glaucoma 3(9.7%), lid coloboma 3(9.7%), congenital ptosis 2(6.5%), pseudo-proptosis 2(6.5%), and lid haemangioma 2(6.5%). Prevalence of blindness was 9.8%.

Conclusion: Congenital eye defects constitute a significant cause of morbidity (16.4%) and blindness (1.6%) among cases of congenital defects seen in the teaching hospital.

Keywords: congenital, eye defects

Orient Journal of Medicine Vol. 17(3&4) 2005: 31-36