Kotb Amgad A, Hammouda Ehab F, Tabbara Khalid F
Eye Center and Eye Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2006 Feb;13(1):1-5. doi: 10.1080/09286580500477317.
To determine the major causes of eye diseases leading to visual loss and blindness among children attending a school for the blind in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
A total of 217 school children with visual disabilities attending a school for the blind in Riyadh were included. All children were brought to The Eye Center, Riyadh, and had complete ophthalmologic examinations including visual acuity testing, biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, tonometry and laboratory investigations. In addition, some patients were subjected to electroretinography (ERG), electrooculography (EOG), measurement of visual evoked potentials (VEP), and laboratory work-up for congenital disorders.
There were 117 male students with an age range of 6-19 years and a mean age of 16 years. In addition, there were 100 females with an age range of 6-18 years and a mean age of 12 years. Of the 217 children, 194 (89%) were blind from genetically determined diseases or congenital disorders and 23 (11%) were blind from acquired diseases. The major causes of bilateral blindness in children were retinal degeneration, congenital glaucoma, and optic atrophy. The most common acquired causes of childhood blindness were infections and trauma.
The etiological pattern of childhood blindness in Saudi Arabia has changed from microbial keratitis to genetically determined diseases of the retina and optic nerve. Currently, the most common causes of childhood blindness are genetically determined causes. Consanguineous marriages may account for the autosomal recessive disorders. Public education programs should include information for the prevention of trauma and genetic counseling. Eye examinations for preschool and school children are mandatory for the prevention and cure of blinding disorders.
确定沙特阿拉伯利雅得一所盲人学校儿童中导致视力丧失和失明的主要眼病病因。
纳入了利雅得一所盲人学校的217名视力残疾学童。所有儿童均被带到利雅得眼科中心，接受了包括视力测试、生物显微镜检查、检眼镜检查、眼压测量和实验室检查在内的全面眼科检查。此外，一些患者还接受了视网膜电图（ERG）、眼电图（EOG）、视觉诱发电位（VEP）测量以及先天性疾病的实验室检查。
有117名男学生，年龄在6至19岁之间，平均年龄为16岁。此外，有100名女学生，年龄在6至18岁之间，平均年龄为12岁。在这217名儿童中，194名（89%）因遗传疾病或先天性疾病而失明，23名（11%）因后天性疾病而失明。儿童双侧失明的主要原因是视网膜变性、先天性青光眼和视神经萎缩。儿童失明最常见的后天性原因是感染和外伤。
沙特阿拉伯儿童失明的病因模式已从微生物性角膜炎转变为视网膜和视神经的遗传疾病。目前，儿童失明最常见的原因是遗传因素。近亲结婚可能是常染色体隐性疾病的原因。公共教育项目应包括预防外伤的信息和遗传咨询。对学龄前和学龄儿童进行眼科检查对于预防和治疗致盲疾病是必不可少的。
