title: Profile of eye lesions and vision loss: a cross-sectional study in Lusambo, a forest-savanna area hyperendemic for onchocerciasis in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine baseline data regarding eye lesions and vision loss in five villages of Lusambo, an onchocerciasis-hyperendemic forest-savanna area in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), in preparation of mass ivermectin distribution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five villages were selected by simple randomization. Through a cross-sectional design, 750 subjects were examined ophthalmologically. The eye examination included acuity visual measurement, slit-lamp examination, ophthalmoscopy, intraocular pressure measurement, and visual field assessment by the Wu-Jones test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was a high prevalence of onchocerciasis-related eye lesions compared with non-onchocercal lesions. Chorioretinitis (20%) was the most frequent disease, others were punctate keratitis and microfilariae in the anterior chamber in equal frequency (13.8%), white intraretinal deposits (10.4%) and iridocyclitis (8%). Vision loss was discovered in 8.5% of the subjects, of whom 0.5% had bilateral blindness, 2.2% had monocular blindness and 5.7% had visual impairment. Vision loss was mostly caused by onchocerciasis-related diseases, especially those affecting the anterior segment of the eye.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Features of ocular onchocerciasis usually described in forest and savanna areas were both found in this forest-savanna zone of the DRC.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kayembe
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Kasonga
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Kayembe
authors.forename: J-C K
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Mwanza
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boussinesq
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology*; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015023:Democratic Republic of the Congo / Q000453:epidemiology; D019353:Endemic Diseases; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015827:Onchocerciasis, Ocular / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014504:Urban Health