Strabismus and Refractive Errors in Cerebral Palsy Patients

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to compare the patients in the rehabilitation center with the patients who had visited the Department of Ophthalmology of Chonnam University Hospital to investigate incidence and type of ocular abnormalities in cerebral palsy patients. METHODS: We compared the seventy patients who had visited the Department of Ophthalmology of Chonnam University Hospital from January 1990 to July 2000 with one hundred and six patients in the rehabilitation center, and analyzed the incidence and type of ocular abnormalities between the two groups of cerebral palsy patients. RESULTS: In rehabilitation center group, spastic type was 51 patients among 90 patients (56.7%). In outpatient group, spastic type was 48 patients among 52 patients (92.3%). In rehabilitation center group, strabismus was detected in 35 patients among 106 patients (33.0%). In outpatient group, strabismus was detected in 31 patients among 70 patients (44.3%). In rehabilitation center group, refractive errors were detected in 27 patients among 85 patients (31.8%). In outpatient group, refractive errors were detected in 28 patients among 60 patients (46.7%). CONCLUSION: We concluded that because of the high incidence of ocular abnormalities in both rehabilitation center and outpatient groups, early detection through routine screening and early treatment for the ocular abnormalities of the cerebral palsy patients would be needed.