Pattern of corneal disorders in Ekiti: a tertiary eye center experience

Purpose: The cornea is the most significant refractive medium in the eye. Pathologies affecting the cornea usually have a great impact on vision. The etiology of corneal disorder varies from one geographical location to another. The objective of this study was to determine the pattern of corneal disorders at Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of case records of patients with cornea disorders over a 5-year period was carried out. Demographic characteristics, presenting visual acuity, and risk factor for cornea disorders were retrieved. Data were entered into the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20, and statistical significance was inferred at P < 0.05. Results: Corneal disorders accounted for 3.3% of the eye disorders seen during the period of study. The median age was 37 years. Males outnumbered females giving a ratio of 1.9:1 and the age range from 0.25 to 92 years. There were more females than males in the 11­20 years' age group. Students (84, 25.4%) and artisans (62, 18.8%) were the two leading occupational groups. Infectious cases constituted 27.2% of the cases. Visual acuity at presentation was <3/60 in 131 (39.7%) cases. Foreign body entry was the leading etiologic agent in 101 (30.6%) cases. Conclusion: Half of the patients were blind at presentation, and many of them presented after more than 1 week of the onset of symptoms. Corneal foreign body, trauma, and vernal keratoconjunctivitis were the leading known predisposing factors. There will be need to emphasize more on the role of protective eye devices among our people, especially those who engage in outdoor activities

Ophthalmic Manifestations in Patients with Intracranial Tumours

Background: This study was aimed at determining the ophthalmic manifestations of patients presenting with brain tumours in a Nigerian tertiary hospital. Method: A retrospective crossectional review of patients with brain tumors in the Neurosurgical Unit of Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife from January 2003 to December 2007 was conducted. Data on biodata, source of referral, diagnosis, visual acuity at presentation and management were recorded and analyzed for simple frequency using the SPSS version 11. Visual acuity was classified using the WHO classification for presenting acuity in the better eye. Results: Out of a total of 94 patients, 88 with complete information were reviewed. There were 53 [60.2%] males and 35 [39.8%] females; the mean age was 36.2±20 years. Fourteen [15.9%] patients were referred by Ophthalmologists. Meningiomas(36.4%), craniopharyngioma(13.6%) and gliomas(9.1%) were the most common brain tumours encountered. Fifty nine(67.9%) had visual complains at presentation; poor vision (46.6%) and double vision (12.5%) were the most common ocular symptoms while opticatrophy was the commonest ocular sign (23.9%). 46 (52%) %) were blind while 14(16%) had visual impairment. Patients with visual impairment and blindness were more likely to have visual complains at presentation (88.3%) compared with 50% amongst patients with normal vision (P=0.003). Conclusion: Ophthalmic signs and symptoms form a major part of presentation in patients with intracranial tumours. Health education and complete ophthalmic evaluation is essential in patients with brain tumours