Causes of blindness among hospital outpatients in Ecuador

Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology
Helene CassPaul Benitez

Abstract

There is a lack of published information on the causes of blindness in Ecuador and the Latin American region in general. This study is designed to enumerate the proportions of ocular conditions contributing to blindness in an outpatient population of an ophthalmology hospital in the coastal region of Ecuador. All cases presenting to an ophthalmology outpatient clinic over a 3-week period during September 2004 were reviewed (n = 802). Visual acuity was measured using a Snellen acuity chart and those who met the criteria for blindness were included in the study (n = 118). Blindness was defined under the World Health Organization protocol as visual acuity of <3/60. Both unilateral and bilateral blindness were included in the study. The diagnosis of ocular pathology contributing to blindness was recorded. Among those considered to have unilateral blindness (n = 88), cataract was the most common cause (43%). This was followed by corneal pathologies (17%) and glaucoma (15%). Among those considered to have bilateral blindness (n = 30), refraction was the most common cause (37%), followed by cataract (23%) and glaucoma (17%). The major causes of blindness found in this study reflected those in estimated data for the region. More studie...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 6, 2011·Survey of Ophthalmology·João M FurtadoJuan C Silva
Jul 28, 2018·Current Medical Research and Opinion·Jaime E OrdóñezUrpy M Osorio
Jan 14, 2020·The American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis·José Antonio Molina-PeralM Elena Mendoza

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