Prescribing patterns of low-vision devices in retinochoroidal coloboma

The objective of the study was to describe the visual characteristics of patients with retinochoroidal coloboma attending the low-vision care clinic of a tertiary eye care hospital.

The clinical records of all patients attending low-vision care clinic between January 2016 and December 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. The data analyzed were demographics, occupation, type of coloboma, visual demand, visual acuity, and prescription of low-vision devices (LVDs). The colobomatous eyes were categorized as simple coloboma and coloboma with microphthalmos.

Of the 100 patients, 164 eyes were diagnosed with retinochoroidal coloboma. Among patients, 70% were males and 30% were females. The mean age range was 23.58 ± 13.15 years and 21.77 ± 11.97 years in patients with simple coloboma and coloboma with microphthalmos, respectively. Type 1 coloboma and myopic refractive error were found to occur more frequently. Dome magnifiers (39.58%), handheld (16.66%), and aspheric spectacle magnifiers (14.5%) were the frequently prescribed LVDs.

There is no or limited treatment for most of the visually impaired patients; thus, there is an important role of low-vision professionals in helping people with low vision to perform their routine activities.