An analysis of 1,001 blinding patients with corneal disease in 1960-1989.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the condition and change of corneal blindness (CB) in the past 30 years.


METHODS
1,001 blinding patients of corneal disease were clinically analysed from 1960 to 1989, including etiology, sex, age, occupation, difference between the urban and rural areas etc.


RESULTS
The male predominated. Infection stood the first cause of blinding corneal diseases, followed by trauma, malnutrition and the others. HSV-1 keratitis was the most frequent infection in 1980s. The highest incidence of CB was 20-40 year-old. The number of CB caused by occupational trauma was more than that by ordinary trauma in 1960s, but from 1970s, the latter was more than the former. The number of CB in rural area was more than that in the urban in 1960s, but from 1970s, there was no significant difference between the two areas. The percentage of bilateral CB was gradually decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
We should try to find more effective strategies to prevent and treat CB caused by HSV-1 keratitis, pay special attention to preschool blindness caused by perforation injuries and avoid infection after corneal injuries of foreign bodies.
Zhang
M
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Union Hospital of Tongji Medical University, Wuhan 430022, China.
He
Y
Y
Wei
H
H
Mai
C
C
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D065306:Corneal Injuries; D005260:Female; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D007634:Keratitis / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D016849:Keratitis, Herpetic / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged