Clinical profile of amblyopia in Pakistani children age 3 to 14 years.
OBJECTIVE
To study the clinical profile of amblyopia in children age 3 to 14 years.


METHODS
A cohort study.


METHODS
The study was conducted over a period of two years from June 2001 to June 2003 at Khyber Institute of Ophthalmic Medical Sciences, Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar, Pakistan.


METHODS
This study included 316 children. Visual acuity was tested with Snellen type and Lea symbols chart according to the level of cooperation of the children. Cycloplegic refraction and orthoptic assessment was performed on all children.


RESULTS
One hundred and eighty-two children were between 3 to 8 years age and 134 were between 8 to 14 years. Mean age was 8 years. One hundred and twenty children had strabismic amblyopia, 136 children had anisometropic amblyopia, while 60 children had combined mechanism amblyopia (strabismus and anisometropia both).


CONCLUSIONS
The results indicate the importance of screening school-going children for refractive error and amblyopia and the importance of a future prospective study on the magnitude, cause and treatment of amblyopia at more treatable age.
Shah
Mufarriq
M
Department of Ophthalmology, Khyber Institute of Ophthalmic Medical Sciences (KIOMS), Hayatabad Medical Complex, Peshawar. mufarriq1@hotmail.com
Khan
Muhammad Tariq
MT
Khan
Muhammad Daud
MD
Habib ur Rehman
D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000550:Amblyopia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology