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Uniocular blindness in Delta State Teaching Hospital, Oghara, Nigeria
Abstract
Background: Uniocular blindness causes loss of binocular single vision. People with uniocular blindness are potentially at risk of developing binocular blindness.
Aim: To determine the prevalence rate, causes and risk factors for uniocular blindness in a teaching hospital in southern Nigeria over a one-year period.
Methods: This was a hospital based retrospective review of all consecutive cases of patients with uniocular blindness who attended the Ophthalmic Outpatient Clinic of the hospital from January December 2011. Data collected include patient demographic information, best corrected visual acuity, examination findings and cause of the uniocular blindness. Data was analyzed with Statistical Package for revieSocial Science (SPSS) version 16.2.
Results: A total of 898 patients were seen within the period of w and 485 (54.0%) were males. The mean age was 48 ± 13.6 years. The prevalence rate of uniocular blindness was 9.1% (CI 7.7- 10.2) in 1 year. Uniocular blindness increased significantly with increasing age, being 5.6% (CI 4.2-6.7) for those 3-16 years and increasing to 13.6% (CI 12.3-14.2) for those 60years and older, P<0.001. The commonest causes of uniocular blindness were cataract (29.2%), glaucoma (17.0%), ocular trauma (12.1%) and corneal opacity (7.3%). Multivariable analysis showed that male gender, ages= 60 years, no formal education were risk factors for uniocular blindness.
Conclusion: The common causes of uniocular blindness are avoidable and affect all ages. Increasing age, male gender and lack of formal education are risk factors for uniocular blindness.
Keywords: Uniocular blindness, Prevalence, Causes, Risk factors, Africa, Hospital study
Aim: To determine the prevalence rate, causes and risk factors for uniocular blindness in a teaching hospital in southern Nigeria over a one-year period.
Methods: This was a hospital based retrospective review of all consecutive cases of patients with uniocular blindness who attended the Ophthalmic Outpatient Clinic of the hospital from January December 2011. Data collected include patient demographic information, best corrected visual acuity, examination findings and cause of the uniocular blindness. Data was analyzed with Statistical Package for revieSocial Science (SPSS) version 16.2.
Results: A total of 898 patients were seen within the period of w and 485 (54.0%) were males. The mean age was 48 ± 13.6 years. The prevalence rate of uniocular blindness was 9.1% (CI 7.7- 10.2) in 1 year. Uniocular blindness increased significantly with increasing age, being 5.6% (CI 4.2-6.7) for those 3-16 years and increasing to 13.6% (CI 12.3-14.2) for those 60years and older, P<0.001. The commonest causes of uniocular blindness were cataract (29.2%), glaucoma (17.0%), ocular trauma (12.1%) and corneal opacity (7.3%). Multivariable analysis showed that male gender, ages= 60 years, no formal education were risk factors for uniocular blindness.
Conclusion: The common causes of uniocular blindness are avoidable and affect all ages. Increasing age, male gender and lack of formal education are risk factors for uniocular blindness.
Keywords: Uniocular blindness, Prevalence, Causes, Risk factors, Africa, Hospital study
