Childhood blindness at a school for the blind in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the major causes of eye diseases leading to visual loss and blindness among children attending a school for the blind in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.


METHODS
A total of 217 school children with visual disabilities attending a school for the blind in Riyadh were included. All children were brought to The Eye Center, Riyadh, and had complete ophthalmologic examinations including visual acuity testing, biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, tonometry and laboratory investigations. In addition, some patients were subjected to electroretinography (ERG), electrooculography (EOG), measurement of visual evoked potentials (VEP), and laboratory work-up for congenital disorders.


RESULTS
There were 117 male students with an age range of 6-19 years and a mean age of 16 years. In addition, there were 100 females with an age range of 6-18 years and a mean age of 12 years. Of the 217 children, 194 (89%) were blind from genetically determined diseases or congenital disorders and 23 (11%) were blind from acquired diseases. The major causes of bilateral blindness in children were retinal degeneration, congenital glaucoma, and optic atrophy. The most common acquired causes of childhood blindness were infections and trauma.


CONCLUSIONS
The etiological pattern of childhood blindness in Saudi Arabia has changed from microbial keratitis to genetically determined diseases of the retina and optic nerve. Currently, the most common causes of childhood blindness are genetically determined causes. Consanguineous marriages may account for the autosomal recessive disorders. Public education programs should include information for the prevention of trauma and genetic counseling. Eye examinations for preschool and school children are mandatory for the prevention and cure of blinding disorders.
Kotb
Amgad A
AA
Eye Center and Eye Foundation for Research in Ophthalmology, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Hammouda
Ehab F
EF
Tabbara
Khalid F
KF
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D017668:Age of Onset; D001766:Blindness / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D002648:Child; D004585:Electrooculography; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D005654:Fundus Oculi; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000150:complications; D012307:Risk Factors; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017678:Sex Distribution; D014792:Visual Acuity