title: Causes of blindness in people aged 50 years and over: community-based versus hospital-based study.
abstract: The causes of blindness in Yemen were determined in people aged 50+ years in both a community- and hospital-based study and documented using WHO/PBL criteria. In the community sample of 707 individuals in a rural area of Taiz governorate the prevalence of bilateral blindness was 7.9% and the main causes were cataract (71.4%) and age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) (14.3%). Corneal opacities and uncorrected aphakia were rare (1 case each) and there were no cases of diabetic retinopathy. Unilateral blindness was found in 8.6% of the community sample. In a case-notes review of 1320 new patients attending an eye clinic in Sana'a, bilateral blindness was documented in 26.5% and unilateral blindness in 9.0% (main causes: cataract, glaucoma, ARMD, diabetic retinopathy, corneal opacities and trauma.
authors.affiliation: Eye Department, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Sana'a University, Sana'a, Yemen.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Al-Akily
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Bamashmus
authors.forename: K A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Al-Mohammadi
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D001766:Blindness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002386:Cataract / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D015984:Causality; D057112:Corneal Perforation / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008268:Macular Degeneration / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010343:Patient Admission / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D018881:Suburban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014504:Urban Health / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015006:Yemen / Q000453:epidemiology