Survey of ophthalmic conditions in rural Lesotho

The first survey of ocular problems in rural Lesotho was conducted by a visiting eye team and consisted of an examination of 1266 ophthalmic clinic patients at 15 representative sites throughout the country. The most common ocular conditions encountered were: conjunctivitis, refractive error, vernalis, senile cataract, glaucoma, corneal opacities and trauma. This disease pattern differs from most developing African nations for reasons of climate, geography and diet. The absence of disciform macular degeneration, narrow-angle glaucoma, and rarity of retinal detachment was noted. The educational impact of the survey, and its importance for future planning are suggested.