Preschool Vision Screening for 3 to 6-Year Old Children in Seoul

PURPOSE: To prevent permanent visual disturbance, we performed a mass screening for the detection of ocular disorders of preschool children. METHODS: Ocular examination was performed on 33,955 children in Seou(3~6 years of age)l, during the period from January to December, 2000. 435 children were shown to have either visual acuity of less than 0.5 or anisometropia of over 2 lines. Detailed Eye examination. was conducted on those 435 children. RESULTS: Diagnoses consisted of refractive errors in 325(74.7%), amblyopia in 91(20.9%), strabismus 21(4.8%) and anterior segment abnormalities in 34(7.8%). Among th types of refractive errors, hyperopic astigmatism 98(30.4%) was the most common type. Astigmatism was combined with all other types in 257(79.9%) children. In cases of strabismus, exotropia was 12(57.1%) and esotropia was 4(19.0%). Refractive error was the most common cause of amblyopia(88(96.7%)). CONCLUSIONS: To prevent and treat amblyopia or strabismus, easily detection and adequate care at preschool age seemed to be very effective. Participation rate for this mass-screening of eye disease during preschool age will be more increased by efforts of constitutional support and parental coperation.

A Case of Congenital Anophthalmos Associated with Cleft Palate

INTRODUCTION: Congenital anophthalmos is a very rare malformation. In terms of embryology, congenital anophthalmos is caused by the lack of developing of eye bulb that leads to the absence of vital component of eyeball. In Korea, about 5 cases have been reported. CASE: It was a female newborn who had congenital anophthalmos in the left eye with cleft palate associated with the marks of an eyelid with stricture and sinking in left orbit. We have observed conduction defects on visual evoked potential(VEP) pathways while the right eye responded properly on the photosensitivity test, and showed normal state on the chromosome test. RESULT: We experienced a case of congenital anophthalmos with cleft palate. But we have not found the cause through systemic laboratory or chromosomal study results, the parent's past medical history.