Causes of blindness and restoration of sight for the students in the School for the Blind, Khon Kaen.

ABSTRACT

One hundred and twenty-seven students from the School for the Blind, Khon Kaen, were seen between August 1984 and December 1987. There were 92 males (72.4%) and 35 females (27.6%). The age ranged from 3 to 19 years with the predominant age group being 6-15 years. The majority of the students (95.3%) resided in the Northeast. Only 26 students (20.5%) had positive family histories. Blindness caused by lesions affecting the whole eye was the leading cause of blindness (36.2%). About half of the cases of blindness were preventable and treatable. Most of them (58.3%) were second grade blind. Of all the students seen, 26 students (20.5%) were subjected to treatment for restoration of sight. Only 19 students had complete follow-up post-operative vision. The average visual improvement after treatment was forty-two per cent. The category of blindness was changed to the better side. Blindness was decreased. Visual impairment increased 36.8 per cent after treatment.