The Burden of Visual Impairment and Blindness from Vitreoretinal Diseases: A Nigerian Tertiary Hospital Retina Unit Experience.

Objective: The objective of this study is to determine the burden of visual impairment and blindness from vitreoretinal diseases in the retina unit of a Nigerian tertiary hospital.

Methodology: A prospective, cross-sectional study on all consecutive new patients presenting with vitreoretinal diseases (VRD) at the vitreoretinal (VR) clinic at Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife from May 2011 to April 2014. Patient's bio-data, presenting complains, Snellen's or tumbling E-chart visual acuity unaided, slit-lamp examination of the vitreous and fundus with +90/+78D, binocular indirect ophthalmoscopy as well as slit-lamp examination of anterior segment, and applanation tonometry findings were recorded in predesigned pro forma. Visual acuity was categorized using WHO/ICD. The data were analyzed using the SPSS software version 16 for simple frequencies and presented.

Results: Of 2025 eyes reviewed, 112 (49.8%) eyes were visually impaired and 67 (29.8%) were blind. Eight (5.2%) patients were bilaterally blind. Diabetic retinopathy was the most common cause of bilateral blindness (25%), and concurrently, the most common VRD (29.8%). All categories of visual loss were more prevalent among the aged ≥65 years. More males (62.2%) were blind from VRD. Cataract was the most common ocular comorbidity seen (43.6%).

Conclusion: The burden of visual impairment and blindness from VRD is large; eye health education for early presentation for eye care as well as the development of VR care with infrastructure upscale to include optical coherence tomography, laser, and surgical care for prompt diagnosis and treatment will be of benefit in reducing the burden.