[Eye disease in children aged 6 to 15 years: a hospital-based study in Yaounde].
This prospective study was conducted in the ophthalmology department of the Gynaeco-Obstetric and Paediatric Hospital in Yaoundé and included 422 children recruited from January to April 2008. The aim was to identify the eye diseases seen frequently seen in school-aged children from 6 to 15 years and examine their epidemiological characteristics.


CONCLUSIONS
The study group included 201 boys and 221 girls, with a mean age of 10,3 +/- 3.2 years. The most frequent disease was ametropia (refractive errors, 43.1%), including hyperopia, which had a prevalence of 23.7% Conjunctival disorders came next, accounting for 33%, more than half due to tropical endemic limbo conjunctivitis (17.8%). Binocular blindness affected 0.9% (n = 4), and low vision 0.7% (n = 3).


CONCLUSIONS
This study, the first in its kind for the age group of 6-15 years in a developing country, allowed us to identify refractive errors as the principal complaint in consultations and led us to propose a reinforcement of screening in schools.
Eballe
André Omgbwa
AO
Hôpital gynéco-obstétrique et pédiatrique de Yaoundé, BP 4362 Yaoundé, Cameroun. andyeballe@gmail.com
Bella
Lucienne Assumpta
LA
Owono
Didier
D
Mbome
Sylviane
S
Mvogo
Côme Ebana
CE
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology; D002163:Cameroon / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D003231:Conjunctivitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000453:epidemiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000453:epidemiology