title: [Pediatric case series in an ophthalmic camp in Turkana (Kenya)].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Turkana is the largest district in Kenya, situated in the Northwest of the country. It features a semi-nomadic population of 850,000. Around 60% of population lives below the poverty threshold. The ratio of doctors is 1:75,000 inhabitants. Five ophthalmologists took part in the last deployment in November. Local staff had previously selected the patients from the rural areas, as well as in Lodwar, the capital of the district. Of the 371 patients who attended the clinic, 128 required surgery.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To describe the pediatric population attended to in the last «Turkana Eye Project» Camp.
  
  
  METHODS
  Description of the ophthalmic pathologies of the children seen in the clinic in this surgical camp, and the diagnostic and therapeutic options according to the limitations of the environment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 371 patients, 54 were younger than 15 years old (14.5%). Four children had surgery (3.25% of the 128 patients). In 2 more cases surgery was the indicated but not performed. Therefore, of the total of 54 cases, 6 could be considered as surgical (11.1%), and 17 suffered ophthalmic problems other than refraction defects, or mild ocular surface pathologies: traumatic cataracts, neuropathies, impetigo, exophthalmos, retinal dystrophies, dermoid cysts, or nyctalopia. The etiology was traumatic in four of the 17 children (23.5%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Surgical camps are increasing in the developing countries. They are usually focused on particular pathologies, such as cataracts or trachoma. Our case series shows the importance of pediatric teams and the need to be prepared to face complex pediatric pathologies.
authors.affiliation: Servicio de Oftalmología, Hospital Infantil La Paz, Madrid. España. Electronic address: sunoval@gmail.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Noval
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cabrejas
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jarrín
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Guerrero
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ciancas
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002387:Cataract Extraction / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003884:Dermoid Cyst / Q000601:surgery; D003906:Developing Countries; D003953:Diagnosis-Related Groups; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology; D005134:Eye Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007630:Kenya / Q000453:epidemiology; D016850:Limbus Corneae / Q000601:surgery; D008493:Medical Missions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty; D014171:Transients and Migrants
keywords: Africa; Cataratas traumáticas; Developing countries; Exophthalmos; Kenia; Kenya; Ophthalmic pathologies; Patologías oftalmológicas; Países en vías de desarrollo; Síndrome de Waardenburg; Traumatic cataracts; Waardenburg syndrome; África