Changing patterns of visual loss in the eastern province, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Considerable attention has been given to the problems of prevention of blindness and trachoma in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia over the past 40 years. It was reported in the 1960s that trachoma prevalence in Eastern Province preschool children was in excess of 90% in villages and 70% in towns, leading to a high incidence of blindness. Unpublished data from the Kig Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital 1984 G/ 1404 Hnational Survey of Eye Disease and Visual Loss demonstrated that, according to World Health Organization criteria, the prevalence of blindness in the Eastern Province was 3.3% and the prevalence of active trachoma was 11.3%. Recent socioeconomic improvement, including the health services, prompted a new survey in order to assess the current situation. From a stratified geographic cluster sample, 4819 persons were registered and 4340 were examined. Results from this 1990 survey are compared with the 1984 data. Blindness was reduced from 3.3% to 1.5%, and cataract remains the major cause of blindness [37.5%]. Trachoma is responsible for 9.4% of the causes of blindness in 1990, in comparison to 27.3% in 1984. Active trachoma has decreased to a level where it can no longer be considered a major health hazard [1%]; however, total elimination of the disease, and protection of families at risk is recommended

Tumors of the eye in Saudi Arabia

The geographic incidence of tumors usually uncovers the influence that environment, race and culture exert upon the prevalence of cancer. Therefore this study of tumors of the eye is presented as a baseline for Saudi Arabia between the years 1982G and 1989G. The most common malignant tumors, in decreasing order of frequency, are retinoblastoma, squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva, basal cell carcinoma of the eyelid, and malignant melanoma. The most common benign tumors, in the same order, are nevi, epithelial cysts, hemangiomas and dermoid cysts. There are, in Saudi Arabia, certain unique features for retinoblastoma, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and malignant melanoma. Furthermore, these conditions have distinctive incidence rates when compared with cancer incidence in Western countries