title: [Visual problems in albinos: a hospital study carried out at the Douala General Hospital].
abstract: We report here a clinical study investigating the main visual problems associated with albinism, with a view to determining the best treatment. We came across 42 cases of albinism during the course of this study, corresponding to a prevalence for albinism of 0.15%. One in ten albinos were of the yellow mutant type and more of the albinos were men than were women (sex ratio 1.21). The maximum visual acuity recorded was 3/10 and 40.47% of the patient had a best visual acuity score no higher than 1/10. Vision was best in the yellow mutants and it improved with age. We found that 33.33% of the albino patients had a squint and 35.71% had torticullis at primary fixation. In contrast to the results of previous studies, the most common ametropia was myopic astigmatism (61.9%). These findings have potential implications for the treatment of visual problems in albinos.
authors.affiliation: Service d'ophtalmologie, Hôpital général de Douala, BP 4856, Douala, Cameroun.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Mvogo
authors.forename: A L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Bella-Hiag
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ellong
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Mbarga
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D016117:Albinism, Ocular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D009759:Nystagmus, Pathologic / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D014792:Visual Acuity
vernacular_title: Les troubles visuels de l'albinos. Etude hospitalière réalisée à l'Hôpital général de Douala.