ABSTRACT
To establish the usefulness of grading system based on the size and extent of corneal involvement in predicting recurrence in patients undergoing primary pterygium excision with intraoperative use of adjunctive topical Mitomycin-C [MMC]. A case series. Section of Ophthalmology, the Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi, from 2005 till 2010. One hundred and twenty male patients [120 eyes] underwent surgical removal of pterygium using bare sclera method with MMC in concentration of 0.2 mg/ml [0.02%] with exposure time of 3 minutes. Classification of subjects was done according to the grading of pterygium. Patients were followed at 3 months interval for a minimum period of 1 year to record any recurrence. The pterygium recurrence rate was 6.7% at a follow-up of 1 year. There was no significant association of pterygium recurrence with younger age [p = 0.14]. A higher level of corneal involvement by the pterygium at presentation correlated significantly with the recurrence [p = 0.01]. These results suggest that a higher grade of pterygium at presentation in patients leads to increased rate of recurrence after surgical excision. Hence, early excision of pterygium is recommended to decrease its recurrence rate
ABSTRACT
To determine the frequency of type-II Diabetes mellitus [DM] in the endogenous population of Gaddap town and also to evaluate the status of Diabetic retinopathy [DR] in this group. Descriptive study. Isra Postgraduate Institute of Ophthalmology, Al-Ibrahim Eye Hospital, Karachi, from January 2006 till December 2008. This community based study of subjects of either gender was carried out in the Gaddap town. Three primary eye care centres were established in the existing primary health care [PHC] facilities, to screen the target Population aged 30 years and above, and who met other inclusion criteria for DM and DR respectively. Patients requiring intervention were managed accordingly. Data was entered and analyzed using Microsoft Visual Basic 6 and Microsoft Access. Out of the cohort of 19211 subjects, 1677 patients were found Diabetic, giving the prevalence of DM in Gaddap town at 8.73%, with 1258 [6.55%] known and 419 [2.18%] newly diagnosed cases. DR was seen in 460 [27.43%] of the Diabetic cases with 126 [7.51%] patients requiring urgent intervention for vision threatening complications. The result validates the importance of early screening of DR in people suffering from DM for possible management and prevention of sight threatening complications in the early stage of the disease and advocates the inclusion of primary eye care as a part of PHC system