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[Ametropia among senegalese children in a hospital setting]
A S Sow1, J M Ndiaye1, A M Wane1
1Clinique ophtalmologique, CHU Aristide Le Dantec, Dakar, Sénégal.
Insights
Ametropia (uncorrected refractive error) affects 11.6% of Senegalese children, with myopia being most common. Early screening during pediatric monitoring is recommended.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Optometry
- Public Health
Background:
- Ametropia is a significant cause of visual impairment in children, potentially leading to strabismus and amblyopia.
- Prevalence data for ametropia in African populations, specifically Senegal, is limited.
- Understanding ametropia prevalence is crucial for early intervention and preventing long-term vision deficits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of ametropia in Senegalese children presenting at a hospital.
- To identify common types of ametropia and associated symptoms in this pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective analysis of 1506 children under 15 years with clear ocular media.
- Data collection included patient demographics, family history, presenting symptoms, and cycloplegic refraction results.
- Refractive error types (myopia, hyperopia, astigmatism) were determined via automated refraction and skiascopy.
Main Results:
- Ametropia was identified in 175 out of 1506 children (11.6% prevalence).
- Myopia was the most common refractive error (58.18%), followed by astigmatism (36.57%) and hyperopia (18.18%).
- Associated symptoms included decreased visual acuity (39.66%), headache (10.06%), and strabismus (4.47%).
Conclusions:
- Myopia is the predominant form of ametropia among Senegalese children in this hospital setting.
- Symptomatic ametropia drives patient referrals, highlighting a potential gap in routine screening.
- Integrating ametropia screening into routine pediatric monitoring could facilitate earlier detection and management.
Introduction:
Ametropia is common in children and cause strabismus and amblyopia. The goal was to establish its prevalence in a hospital setting among Senegalese children.
Patients And Methods:
This was a retrospective study of patients under 15 years of age with clear ocular media. The marital status, circumstances of discovery, and results of cycloplegic refraction were recorded.
Results:
Of 1506 children, 175 demonstrated ametropia. The mean age was 8 years, and the male : female ratio was 0.68. Family history of ametropia was present in 8.5 %. Decreased VA was present in 39.66 %, headache 10.06 %, and strabismus 4.47 %. Automated refraction in 109 patients and skiascopy in one patient showed 58.18 % cases of myopia, 18.18 % of hyperopia and 36.57 % of astigmatism.
Discussion:
The most common ametropia was myopia. Patients were referred for symptomatic ametropia.
Conclusion:
Screening for ametropia might occur earlier if it is associated with pediatric monitoring in our regions.
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