RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Distribution and aetiology of blindness and visual impairment in mesoendemic onchocercal communities, Kaduna State, Nigeria. Kaduna Collaboration for Research on Onchocerciasis.
JF British Journal of Ophthalmology
JO Br J Ophthalmol
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
SP 8
OP 13
DO 10.1136/bjo.78.1.8
VO 78
IS 1
A1 A Abiose
A1 I Murdoch
A1 O Babalola
A1 S Cousens
A1 I Liman
A1 J Onyema
A1 J Evans
A1 W Gregory
A1 B Jones
YR 1994
UL http://bjo.bmj.com/content/78/1/8.abstract
AB During a field trial of ivermectin in Kaduna State, 6831 people age 5 years and above, living in 34 mesoendemic onchocercal communities in Kaduna State, northern Nigeria, were examined for ocular disease. Visual function assessments included tests of visual acuity and visual fields. A total of 185 individuals (2.7%) were bilaterally blind by acuity criteria with a further 28 blind by field constriction. The overall prevalence of blindness was 3.1%. A further 118 individuals were visually impaired by WHO criteria. Examination for the cause of blindness revealed that 43% of eyes in bilaterally blind patients were blind due to onchocerciasis. A further 11% were blind from optic atrophy much of which was probably onchocercal in origin. Glaucoma was the next most common cause of blindness in the bilaterally blind (11%). Only 6% of eyes were blind from cataract as the primary cause. In the visually impaired population cataract was the most common primary cause of impaired/blind eyes (31%), followed by onchocerciasis (19%) [corrected].