Dawodu O A, Osahon A I, Emifoniye E
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria.
Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2003 Dec;10(5):323-30. doi: 10.1076/opep.10.5.323.17325.
This hospital-based retrospective study was aimed at providing baseline information on the causes of blindness in the locality.
The case notes of all new patients attending the Eye Clinic of Otibhor Okhae Teaching Hospital, Irrua, Edo State, Nigeria, over a six-year period (January 1995-December 2000) were retrieved and analyzed.
Over 6% (555) of new patients seen during this period were uniocularly blind while 3.9% (354) were binocularly blind. The leading causes of uniocular blindness were cataract, open-angle glaucoma and corneal ulceration/leucoma. Binocular blindness was mainly due to cataract, open-angle glaucoma and aphakia.
The prevalence of blindness in the study population is high. Cataract, as the main cause of blindness, will require surgical relief, either in the teaching hospital or preferably in the patient's locality. Appropriate interventions need to be evolved (in the form of either mobile clinics or a series of surgical eye camps) to stem the present trend toward high prevalence of avoidable blindness. Prevention of ocular trauma is an essential factor in the reduction of blindness in children. Health education and bringing ophthalmological care to the doorstep of underprivileged rural dwellers will improve their level of awareness.
这项基于医院的回顾性研究旨在提供该地区失明原因的基线信息。
检索并分析了尼日利亚江户州伊鲁阿市奥蒂博尔·奥凯教学医院眼科门诊在六年期间（1995年1月至2000年12月）所有新患者的病历。
在此期间就诊的新患者中，超过6%（555例）为单眼失明，而3.9%（354例）为双眼失明。单眼失明的主要原因是白内障、开角型青光眼和角膜溃疡/白斑。双眼失明主要归因于白内障、开角型青光眼和无晶状体。
研究人群中失明患病率很高。白内障作为失明的主要原因，需要在教学医院或最好在患者当地进行手术治疗。需要制定适当的干预措施（以流动诊所或一系列眼科手术营地的形式）来遏制目前可避免失明高患病率的趋势。预防眼外伤是降低儿童失明率的一个重要因素。健康教育以及为贫困农村居民提供上门眼科护理将提高他们的认识水平。
