Search PubMed⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “BLIND”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMed2001

[A survey and treatment of blindness in Gejiu City of Yunnan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To calculate the percentage of blindness in the mass and evaluate the current conditions of treatment for cataract. METHODS: In accordance with the national unified standards and procedures, a clue survey of the people aged under 40 years and a general survey of the people over 40 years in Gejiu city, Yunnan province were carried out. In the mean time, operations were performed for the patients with cataract. RESULTS: Of the total 361 214 persons being surveyed, there were binocular blindness in 1 037 cases (0.29%) and monocular one in 983 cases (0.27%). Of the cases with binocular blindness, 593 cases (57.18%), and of the monocular blindness, 617 cases (62.77%) could be treated. The leading causes of 1037 cases with binocular blindness were cataract (51.98%), injuries of the eye (19.96%), corneal opacity (16.00%), glaucoma (10.03%), refractive error and other ocular diseases (2.03%). The average prevalence rate in the female cases was higher than that of male cases (chi(2) = 53.48, P < 0.01). Blindness was associated with older age There were variations in the prevalence rates in different aboriginals and in cases with different occupations. Cataract was the main disease to cause both the monocular and binocular blindness. Among the patients with cataract 539 cases (90.98%) of binocular blindness and 500 cases (81.03%) of monocular blindness were curable. The cataract operation was performed on 738 cases with cataract, including 396 cases with binocular blindness and 342 cases with monocular blindness. At postoperative 3 months, the rate of the best corrected visual acuity (eye sight > 0.05) was accounted for 97.73%, the rate of the eye sight > 0.3, 86.36% and the rate of wearing glasses (including implantation of intraocular lens), 85.60%. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of blindness is associated with the aboriginal, occupation, age and the sex. The leading cause of blindness is cataract. So the surgical restoration of vision in cases with cataract is the main measure in the prevention of blindness.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

[Creating the model county to promote the prevention of blindness in Zhejiang Province].

OBJECTIVE: To develop a system of enhancing work efficiency in prevention of blindness in Zhejiang province by creating the Model County in prevention of blindness. METHODS: Twenty counties were selected in the whole Zhejiang province to serve as the candidates of the Model County in prevention of blindness in 1996 - 1998. The activities for prevention of blindness were conducted in these counties according to the five standards of the Model County in prevention of blindness established by the National Committee for Prevention of Blindness. The Model County in prevention of blindness was awarded only after checking and accepting by the authorities in county, provincial and national levels. RESULTS: The effective way for creating the Model County in prevention was as follows: the local government put the prevention of blindness in the list of the priorities, the local committee for prevention of blindness was established, the three level network for prevention of blindness was established, the eye care workers were trained, the necessary equipment was provided. After the efforts for three years, seven counties were awarded as the Model County in prevention of blindness. In addition, Shaoxing Prefecture city became Model City in prevention of blindness. A strong effort was made to promote the activities for prevention of blindness during 1996 to 1998 in the other thirteen counties. The number of eye doctors increased from 602 into 1 850. There were two folds increase in the number of equipment availability, for example, slit lamp and ophthalmic microscope. The annual number of cataract surgeries was about 20 000. CONCLUSION: It appears to be a good approach to create the Model County to promote the prevention of blindness.

Blindness↗
PubMed2006

Estimation of prevalence and incidence rates and causes of blindness in Israel, 1998-2003.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence and incidence of blindness in Israel appear to be comparable to other western countries. Comparisons are difficult because of different definitions of blindness, and the uniqueness of the Israeli Registry of the Blind. OBJECTIVE: To characterize the population who were registered as Blind in Israel in the years 1998-2003 and estimate the prevalence and incidence of blindness by age and causes of blindness. METHODS: A retrospective review of the annual report of the national Registry of the Blind in Israel between 1998 and 2003 identified 21,585 blind persons who received a certificate for blindness. Blind persons are identified by ophthalmologists throughout Israel and referred to the Registry of the Blind if they have a visual acuity of 3/60 or worse, or a visual field loss of <20 degrees in their better eye. This report includes prevalence data on 21,585 persons enrolled in this review still alive and living in Israel in 2003. We estimated the prevalence rate of blindness nationwide and the incidence rate for each cause of blindness for every year. RESULTS: The main leading causes of blindness in Israel in 1998 were (in percent of the total number of newly registered patients): age-related macular degeneration (20.1%), glaucoma (13.8%), myopic maculopathy (12%), cataract (10.4%), diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy (10.1%), and optic atrophy (7.9%), and in 2003, 28%, 11.8%, 7.4%, 6.5%, 14.4% and 6.5% respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that the incidence of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and maculopathy in Israel is increasing, while that of glaucoma, myopic maculopthy, optic atrophy and cataract is decreasing.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Physician interpretations and textbook definitions of blinding terminology in randomized controlled trials.

CONTEXT: When clinicians assess the validity of randomized controlled trials (RCTs), they commonly evaluate the blinding status of individuals in the RCT. The terminology authors often use to convey blinding status (single, double, and triple blinding) may be open to various interpretations. OBJECTIVE: To determine physician interpretations and textbook definitions of RCT blinding terms. DESIGN AND SETTING: Observational study undertaken at 3 Canadian university tertiary care centers between February and May 1999. PARTICIPANTS: Ninety-one internal medicine physicians who responded to a survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Respondents identified which of the following groups they thought were blinded in single-, double-, and triple-blinded RCTs: participants, health care providers, data collectors, judicial assessors of outcomes, data analysts, and personnel who write the article. Definitions from 25 systematically identified textbooks published since 1990 providing definitions for single, double, or triple blinding. RESULTS: Physician respondents identified 10, 17, and 15 unique interpretations of single, double, and triple blinding, respectively, and textbooks provided 5, 9, and 7 different definitions of each. The frequencies of the most common physician interpretation and textbook definition were 75% (95% confidence interval [CI], 65%-83%) and 74% (95% CI, 52%-90%) for single blinding, 38% (95% CI, 28%-49%) and 43% (95% CI, 24%-63%) for double blinding, and 18% (95% CI, 10%-28%) and 14% (95% CI, 0%-58%) for triple blinding, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that both physicians and textbooks vary greatly in their interpretations and definitions of single, double, and triple blinding. Explicit statements about the blinding status of specific groups involved in RCTs should replace the current ambiguous terminology.

Double-Blind Method↗
PubMed2001

Etiology of blindness in an urban community hospital setting.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the cause of monocular and binocular blindness in a predominantly nonwhite urban community hospital setting. DESIGN: Retrospective hospital-based cross-sectional study. PARTICIPANTS: All 3562 unique subjects examined in the New and General Ophthalmology clinic at Parkland Memorial Hospital, Dallas, Texas, from July 1 to September 30, 1998. METHODS: The EYEstation program by Datamedic was queried to conduct a detailed review of electronic medical records of the participants listed previously. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Blindness was defined as visual acuity </=20/200 in at least one eye. Records of blind subjects were subjected to further review. RESULTS: Of the 3562 subjects examined, 321 (9.0%) were blind in one eye and 76 (2.1%) were blind in both eyes. Retinal disease was the leading cause of blindness (90 = 22.7%), with retinal vascular occlusions and retinal detachments accounting for more than half of retinal causes. Trauma (71 = 17.9%), diabetes (68 = 17.1%), and glaucoma (62 = 15.6%) were the next most frequent causes. Trauma was the leading cause of blindness among subjects less than 40 years old and among blind new subjects. The most common cause of blindness among the 40- to 59-year-old age group was diabetes, accounting for 26.1% of cases. Age-related macular degeneration accounted for only 1.3% (n = 5) of blindness. CONCLUSIONS: Retinal diseases, especially retinal vascular occlusions and retinal detachments, are leading causes of blindness in this predominantly nonwhite and uninsured subject population. Trauma is a significant cause of severe, unilateral vision loss, especially in the young and in newly presenting subjects. Diabetes was the leading cause of blindness among the 40- to 59-year-old population. Age-related macular degeneration plays a relatively minor role in the cause of blindness in the study population.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

Outcome and number of cataract surgeries in India: policy issues for blindness control.

PURPOSE: To assess what impact attention to quality of cataract surgery and postoperative follow up can have on cataract blindness in India, and to estimate the number of surgeries needed to eliminate cataract blindness in India. METHODS: In a population-based sample of 5268 persons in two rural areas in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India, data on the visual outcome of cataract surgery were obtained on 129 eyes of 106 persons operated previously. These were compared with the visual outcome of cataract surgery performed during 1999 in 2394 eyes of 2213 persons at two new rural eye centres set up in these areas that pay particular attention to the quality of eye care. Blindness in an eye was defined as presenting distance visual acuity less than 6/60, and in a person as this acuity level in the better eye. These data were extrapolated to India. RESULTS: In the population-based sample, of the 129 operated eyes, 51 (39.5%) were blind after surgery, which included 41 (31.8%) from cataract surgery-related causes. Of the 106 persons in the population sample who had had cataract surgery in one or both eyes, 26 (24.5%) were still blind. In contrast, for the cataract surgery at the two rural eye centres paying attention to quality, 3.1% of the eyes and 1.8% of the persons were blind soon after surgery, but these figures could increase 2.6 times over the lifetime of these persons. The 3.5 million cataract surgeries in India in 2000 are estimated to result in 0.32 million persons having blindness averted over their lifetime. To eliminate cataract blindness in India, an estimated 9 million good-quality cataract surgeries are needed every year during 2001-2005, increasing to over 14 million surgeries needed every year during 2016-2020 on persons most likely to go blind from cataract. CONCLUSIONS: The number of persons in whom blindness is being averted due to cataract surgery in India is currently a very small fraction of the number blind from cataract. If adequate attention is given to the quality of eye care, for the current number of cataract surgeries in India it should be possible to increase by threefold the number in whom blindness can be averted with cataract surgery. In addition to improving quality, the annual number of cataract surgeries has to be at least threefold the current number during 2006-2010 if cataract blindness in India is to be eliminated.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Risk and risk factors for blindness from glaucoma.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Estimates of blindness from glaucoma and risk factors for blindness remain of interest for all ophthalmologists. RECENT FINDINGS: Long-term retrospective studies of patients with open-angle glaucoma in developed countries have noted that progression to bilateral blindness among treated patients is relatively uncommon. Risk factors for development of blindness include advanced visual field loss at presentation and noncompliance with the treatment regimen. Age is a risk factor in some studies. Many of those with blindness are blind at presentation. Untreated rates of blindness are higher. Population-based studies of glaucoma in developing countries have highlighted the obstacles to prevention of blindness in such settings, with astonishingly high rates of blindness noted. SUMMARY: The risk of blindness from glaucoma is very high among patients in developing countries, the vast majority of whom do not know they are afflicted. When considering all glaucoma worldwide, the greatest risk factor for blindness is almost certainly being an average citizen of a developing country. Among those with open-angle glaucoma in developed countries, more advanced visual field loss at presentation and noncompliance are risk factors for development of blindness, as well as advanced age. Effective public education about glaucoma and targeted screening of those most likely to have glaucoma are necessary if the number of blind from glaucoma is to be reduced worldwide. Better treatment options for those in developing countries must also be developed.

Blindness↗
PubMed1999

Blindness incidence in Germany. A population-based study from Württemberg-Hohenzollern.

UNLABELLED: Few data on the incidence of blindness in Germany are available. We analysed causes of legal blindness for the region Württemberg-Hohenzollern (population 5.5 million) in order to help fill in this gap. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Population-based investigation on the incidence of legal blindness (visual acuity <1/50) based on materials from the social services. Age-dependent blindness incidences were modelled via logistic regression models. RESULTS: 647 blind persons were newly registered in 1994 (blindness incidence 11.6/100,000). The blindness incidence is moderate in infants (4.5/100,000) and decreases further during childhood. At the age of 20 years, the incidence again rises to the former level and remains relatively constant. After the age of 60 years, the incidence increases sharply: 5-year odds ratios are 1.76 (CI: 1.68-1. 85) in women and 1.72 (CI: 1.60-1.84) in men. The blindness incidence is higher in women, 15.6/100,000, compared to 12.2/100,000 in men. The major causes of blindness are: macular degeneration, 3. 92/100,000; diabetic retinopathy, 2.01/100,000; glaucoma, 1.6/100, 000; high myopia, 0.77/100,000; optic atrophy, 0.68/100,000; central nervous system-triggered blindness; 0.56/100,000, and tapetoretinal degenerations, 0.52/100,000. DISCUSSION: Due to monetary incentives for the blind persons, social service files offer accurate and complete data. Besides macular degeneration, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are major causes of blindness. Thus, this study suggests further blindness prevention activities for diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Blindness and low vision in adults in Ozoro, a rural community in Delta State, Nigeria.

BACKGROUND: The objective of this article is to determine the prevalence and causes of blindness and low vision in Ozoro, a rural town of Delta State in Nigeria, in order to provide baseline information for planning a prevention of blindness programme. METHODS: A cross sectional study using a stratified random sampling method was used to select the compounds. The five communities in the town formed the different sub-groups or strata. Visual acuity were recorded for all adults 40 years and older. Persons who had visual acuity less than 6/18 were further examined to determine the cause of low vision or blindness. The WHO definition of visual impairment according to visual acuity was used as criteria for classification. RESULTS: A total of 815 persons (coverage of 51.7%) were examined using a modified WHO PBL record of blindness form. The prevalence of blindness (VA < 3/60 in the better eye) for people of 40 years and above was 6.3% (95% CI, 4.6% to 8%) and low vision VA 6/24 to 3/60 in the better eye was 25.2%. The estimated prevalence of bilateral blindness for all ages was 1.3% and low vision was 5%. The rate of blindness and low vision increased with age being highest in subjects who were 60 years and above. The main causes of blindness and low vision were cataract, accounting for 60% of all bilateral blindness and 51.7% of all low vision. Other causes of blindness include, posterior segment diseases (11.7%). Glaucoma was presumed to be cause of blindness in 9.8% of cases; others were uncorrected aphakia 5.9%, and globe abnormalities 5.9%. Refractive error was the second major cause of low vision accounting for 22% of bilateral low vision. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of blindness and low vision in this oil rich Ozoro community in Delta State is high and majority are avoidable causes of blindness.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

[A cross-sectional survey of blindness and low vision among adults aged 60 years and above in Xinchengqiao Blocks, Nantong].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence and causes of blindness and low vision among adults aged > or = 60 years in the urban population of Nantong. METHODS: Cluster sampling was used to select 8 from 14 communities in Xinchengqiao Blocks, in which all individuals aged > or = 60 years were visited. The visual acuity without correction and the presenting acuity with the participants' habitual distance correction were measured separately for each eye. In individuals with visual acuity less than 0.6, pinhole visual acuity was tested with pinhole spectacle. External eye, anterior segment and ocular fundus were examined by the ophthalmologist using a slit lamp-microscope and direct ophthalmoscopy. The survey was preceded by a pilot study. RESULTS: Of 3352 enumerated subjects, 3040 individuals participated in this survey (90.69% response rate). According to pinhole visual acuity and World Health Organization (WHO) visual impairment criterion (blindness: less than 0.05 in the better eye; low vision: less than 0.3 to 0.05 in the better eye), the prevalence of blindness and low vision was 1.35% and 1.84% respectively. The prevalence of blindness and low vision for females were 1.92% and 2.33%, respectively, which were differenced from that in males (0.66% and 1.24%, respectively). The prevalence of blindness and low vision increased with age. The survey showed that the most important cause leading to blindness and low vision was cataract. According to the presenting visual acuity and visual impairment criterion (blindness: less than 0.1 in both eyes), the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment was 1.58% and 13.59%, respectively, 2.10% and 15.98% in females and 0.95% and 10.66% in males, respectively. The prevalence of blindness and visual impairment was raised with increasing age. Cataract was also the leading cause for blindness. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of blindness in the Nantong area was lower than that in northern, southern and western China. Females and illiteracy were more likely to have blindness and low vision than that of males and literate. The leading causes of blindness in Nantong are, in descending sequence, cataract, ocular fundus diseases, ametropia and corneal scar/opacity.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Impact of color blindness on recognition of blood in body fluids.

BACKGROUND: Color blindness is a common hereditary X-linked disorder. OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether color blindness affects the ability to detect the presence of blood in body fluids. METHODS: Ten color-blind subjects and 20 sex- and age-matched control subjects were shown 94 photographs of stool, urine, or sputum. Frank blood was present in 57 (61%) of the photographs. Surveys were done to determine if board-certified internists had ever considered whether color blindness would affect detection of blood and whether an inquiry on color blindness was included in their standard medical interview. RESULTS: Color-blind subjects were significantly less able to identify correctly whether pictures of body fluids showed blood compared with non-color-blind controls (P =.001); the lowest rate of correct identifications occurred with pictures of stool (median of 26 [70%] of 37 for color-blind subjects vs 36.5 [99%] of 37 for controls; P<.001). The more severely color-blind subjects were significantly less accurate than those with less severe color deficiency (P =.009). Only 2 (10%) of the 21 physicians had ever considered the possibility that color blindness might affect the ability of patients to detect blood, and none routinely asked their patients about color blindness. CONCLUSIONS: Color blindness impairs recognition of blood in body fluids. Color-blind individuals and their health care providers need to be made aware of this limitation.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Two-dot alignment across the physiological blind spot.

Three competing hypotheses have been proposed for the cortical representation of the blind spot. These are: (i) the regions surrounding the blind spot maintain their spatial values; (ii) the opposite sides of the blind spot are represented adjacently at the cortex, so that the blind spot is "sewn-up"; and (iii) the blind spot is sewn-up with compensation occurring in the immediate surround of the blind spot, so that spatial values are distorted only in the immediate surround of the blind spot. To distinguish between these hypotheses we used a two-dot alignment task, with the two dots straddling the blind spot at varying dot separations. Thresholds in the two-dot alignment task are limited by the cortical separation of the two dots. When thresholds for alignment across the blind spot are compared with thresholds over intact retina at the same eccentricity, the three hypotheses predict: (i) no change in thresholds; (ii) a lowering of thresholds; and (iii) a lowering of thresholds but only at separations slightly greater than the diameter of the blind spot. Thresholds across the blind spot were closely similar to thresholds across intact retina. The results do not support a sewing-up (with or without compensation) of the blind spot. Rather, our results are consistent with a preservation of spatial values around the blind spot.

Fixation, Ocular↗
PubMed2002

Impact of blinded versus unblinded abstract review on scientific program content.

PURPOSE: A procedure whereby reviewers are not informed of the author or institutional identity for submitted abstracts is sometimes considered a more equitable and impartial process for selection of the content for a scientific program. We performed a prospective randomized study to evaluate the impact of a reviewer blinding process on scientific program content. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 234 abstracts submitted for presentation at the 2001 meeting of the Southeastern Section of the American Urological Association were distributed for review and grading to 42 reviewers who were randomly assigned to either a blinded or unblinded category. Acceptance for presentation was based on combined raw scores for blinded and unblinded reviews. However, multiple statistical comparisons were performed to evaluate the program content if only the blinded or unblinded reviews had been used as criteria for program acceptance. The abstracts were divided into pediatrics; prostate cancer, bladder cancer and urinary diversion, female urology and urodynamics, endourology and laparoscopy, benign and malignant diseases of the kidney, and penis/erectile dysfunction and miscellaneous for review. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed in the variability of scores for blinded versus unblinded reviewers in the bladder cancer and prostate cancer groups but not in the other categories. For the pediatrics and urodynamics/female urology groups unblinded reviewers had statistically significant higher mean scores than blinded reviewers but this was not observed in other categories. Overall there was no clear pattern showing greater or less variability between reviewers for blinded versus unblinded reviews, nor was there a consistently observed difference in mean raw scores. Of the papers included in the program 60% would have been accepted for presentation by either blinded or unblinded review alone. This figure increased to 80% when considering the papers which were most highly scored by reviewers in each category. CONCLUSIONS: Although this study cannot be used to determine the quality of reviews based on blinding versus unblinding, it does not demonstrate any consistent increase in variability between reviewers whether they have been informed of abstract authors and institution. Furthermore, there was no identifiable tendency for blinded or unblinded reviewers to assign higher or lower raw scores to abstracts. However, blinded versus nonblinded review may have a substantial impact on program content. Only 60% of the presented abstracts would have been chosen by either method used alone. Additionally, 20% of the 5 abstracts in each category graded most highly by 1 review process would not have been accepted for inclusion on the program by the other process. These data may not be applicable to other circumstances, but the blinding process for abstract review may impact substantially on program content for section meetings.

Abstracting and Indexing↗
PubMed1998

Is current eye-care-policy focus almost exclusively on cataract adequate to deal with blindness in India?

BACKGROUND: India's National Programme for Control of Blindness focuses almost exclusively on cataract, based on a national survey done in the 1980s which reported that cataract caused 80% of the blindness in India. No current population-based data on the causes of blindness in India are available. We assessed the rate and causes of blindness in an urban population in southern India. METHODS: We selected 2954 participants by stratified, random, cluster, systematic sampling from Hyderabad city. Eligible participants were interviewed and given a detailed ocular assessment, including visual acuity, refraction, slitlamp biomicroscopy, applanation intraocular pressure, gonioscopy, dilatation, grading of cataract, stereoscopic fundus assessment, and automated-threshold visual fields. FINDINGS: 2522 participants, including 1399 aged 30 years or more, were assessed. 49 participants (all aged > or =30 years) were blind (presenting distance visual acuity <6/60 or central visual field <200 in the better eye). The rate of blindness among those aged 30 years or more, adjusted for age and sex, was 3.08% ([95% CI 1.95-4.21]). Causes included cataract (29.7%), retinal disease (17.1%), corneal disease (15.4%), refractive error (12.5%), glaucoma (12.1%), and optic atrophy (11.0%). 15.7% of the blindness caused by visual-field constriction would have been missed without visual-field examination. Also without visual-field and detailed dilated-fundus assessments, blindness attributed to cataract would have been overestimated by up to 75.8%. If the use of cataract surgery in this urban population was half that found in this study, which simulates the situation in rural India, cataract would have caused 51.8% (39.4-64.2) of blindness, significantly less than the 80% accepted by current policy. INTERPRETATION: Much of the blindness in this Indian population was due to non-cataract causes. The previous national survey did not include detailed dilated-fundus assessment and visual-field examination which could have led to overestimation of cataract as a cause of blindness in India. Policy-makers in India should encourage well-designed population-based epidemiological studies from which to develop a comprehensive long-term policy on blindness in addition to dealing with cataract.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Childhood blindness.

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to summarize available data regarding pediatric blinding diseases worldwide and to present the most up-to-date information on childhood blindness in the United States. METHODS: We obtained data from a complete search of the world literature and from direct contact with each of the schools for the blind in the United States. RESULTS: Five percent of worldwide blindness involves children younger than 15 years of age; in developing countries 50% of the population is in this age group. By World Health Organization criteria, there are 1.5 million children worldwide who are blind: 1.0 million in Asia, 0.3 million in Africa, 0.1 million in Latin America, and 0.1 million in the rest of the world. There are marked differences in the causes of pediatric blindness in different regions, apparently based on socioeconomic factors. In developing countries, 30% to 72% of such blindness is avoidable, 9% to 58% is preventable, and 14% to 31% is treatable. The leading cause is corneal opacification caused by a combination of measles, xerophthalmia, and the use of traditional eye medicine. There is no national registry of the blind in the United States, and most of the schools for the blind do not keep data regarding the cause of blindness in their students. From those schools that do have this information, the top 3 causes are cortical visual impairment, retinopathy of prematurity, and optic nerve hypoplasia. There has been a significant increase in both cortical vision loss and retinopathy of prematurity in the past 10 years. CONCLUSIONS: There are marked regional differences in the prevalence and causes of pediatric blindness, apparently based on socioeconomic factors that limit prevention and treatment schemes. In the United States the 3 leading causes of pediatric blindness are cortical visual impairment, retinopathy of prematurity, and optic nerve hypoplasia. There is a need for more complete and more uniform data based on the established World Health Organization reporting format.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

The value of corneal transplantation in reducing blindness.

PURPOSE: To analyse the role of keratoplasty in reducing world blindness due to corneal diseases. METHODS: Review of published literature. We collected and analysed articles published in the English language literature related to the prevalence and causes of blindness in different parts of the world, causes of corneal blindness, and outcome of corneal transplantation for various corneal diseases. RESULTS: A total of 80% of the world's blind live in developing countries. Retinal diseases are the most important causes of blindness (40-54%) in established economy nations while cataract (44-60%) and corneal diseases (8-25%) are the most common causes of blindness in countries with less developed economies. Keratitis during childhood, trauma, and keratitis during adulthood resulting in a vascularized corneal scar and adherent leucoma are the most frequent causes of corneal blindness in developing countries. Corneal diseases are responsible for 20% of childhood blindness. Nearly 80% of all corneal blindness is avoidable. The outcome of keratoplasty for vascularized corneal scar and adherent leucoma is unsatisfactory, necessitating repeat surgery in a high proportion of these cases. Other barriers for keratoplasty in these nations are suboptimal eye banking, lack of trained human resources, and infrastructure. CONCLUSIONS: Since the developing world carries most of the load of corneal blindness and the major causes of corneal blindness are corneal scar and active keratitis, development of corneal transplantation services need a comprehensive approach encompassing medical standards in eye banking, training of cornea specialists and eye banking personnel and exposure of ophthalmologists to care of corneal transplants for better follow-up care. However, concerted efforts should be made to develop and implement prevention strategies since most corneal blindness is preventable.

Blindness↗
PubMed1999

[Causes of blindness in Hessia in 1996].

BACKGROUND: Despite of medical progress, the incidence and prevalence of blindness are continuously increasing. In Hessia, the number of persons receiving blindness compensation payment increased from 8,346 in 1985 to 11,166 in 1996 by 2.6% per year. In 1996, the rate (prevalence) amounted to 1.85/1000 of the Hessian population. METHODS: In this study, the incidence of blindness (visual acuity < or = 0.02 or equivalent visual handicap) and substantial visual handicap (visual acuity < or = 0.05 or equivalent visual handicap) according to the Hessian law was investigated by means of the records of new candidates for blindness compensation payment whose applications were granted in 1996. The causes of blindness (main diagnosis), visual acuity, age, gender, and nationality were evaluated. RESULTS: The Hessian administration for public welfare had filed 2,609 alterations of applications concerning sundry social assistance. Out of these, 2,395 files (91.8%) were available, 1411 applications met the requirements for blindness compensation payment, 45.4% were graded substantially visually handicapped for the first time, 43.4% were graded blind for the first time, and 11.0% were graded blind after previous substantial visual handicap. In 0.2%, a further classification was not necessary. Applied to the Hessian population of 6.027 million people, the incidence of blindness was 0.14/1000. 67.9% were female, 30.9% were male, in 1.2% the gender was not evaluable. The age median of the candidates was 78 years (male: 74 years, female: 80 years), 84.3% of the candidates were > or = 60 years old. The most frequent causes of blindness (substantial visual handicap) were: age related macular degeneration 35.3% (49.5%), diabetic retinopathy 15.0% (17.0%), glaucoma 12.6% (7.8%), tapetoretinal degenerations 6.9% (1.7%), optic nerve atrophy 6.1% (4.3%), and myopia 5.0% (6.5%). CONCLUSION: Age related affections are the most frequent causes of blindness. Due to the increasing life expectancy and rather constant birth rates, a further increase of blindness rates has to be expected.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Current trends in newly registered blindness in Denmark.

Current pattern of blindness (i.e. visual acuity < or = 6/60) in Denmark was studied based on 1585 application forms for new membership to the Danish Society of the Blind during 1993. Statistics on blindness are very sensitive to the definitions used. A change of blindness definition to visual acuity < 6/60 reduced the number of formally blind subjects with 32%, and by using the definition of WHO (visual acuity < 3/60) only 562 subjects (35%) would have been considered blind. The prevailing causes of blindness were age-related macular degeneration with 1132 cases (71.4%), followed by diabetic retinopathy 133 cases (8.4%), and glaucoma 80 cases (5.0%). Among the younger subjects (133 persons) aged 20-59 years diabetic retinopathy comprised 36% and lesions of the optic pathways 26%, while myopia and retinitis pigmentosa accounted for 5% each. The majority of the applicants (92%) were > or = 60 years old. In this group, age-related macular degeneration was the main cause of blindness in 78%. Figures from 1993 were compared with six similar studies on newly registered blindness from the last 35 years. The annual number of registrations was doubled during the last 25 years. The annual number of registered blind due to diabetic retinopathy fell during the 60's and 70's followed by a constant rate during the last decades. Glaucoma blindness fell with a factor two, and declined from a relative frequency of 15% among the causes of blindness to 5%. The impact of age related macular degeneration increased from 20% to 70% during the same period.

Adult↗