VISUAL ASSESMENT AND CAUSES OF BLINDNESS IN PATIENTS ATTENDING KIMS HUBLI OPHTHALMOLOGY OPD FOR VISUALLY HANDICAP CERTIFICATE

DR DAMAYANTHI SURANAGI; DR SHIVA SAGAR N; DR KRIPA SANJEEV; DR GIRISH KULKARNI

Volume : VI, Issue : IX, September - 2016

VISUAL ASSESMENT AND CAUSES OF BLINDNESS IN PATIENTS ATTENDING KIMS HUBLI OPHTHALMOLOGY OPD FOR VISUALLY HANDICAP CERTIFICATE

Dr Damayanthi Suranagi, Dr Shiva Sagar N, Dr Kripa Sanjeev, Dr Girish Kulkarni

Abstract :

PURPOSE : To study the incidence of various ocular conditions resulting in visual impairment and blindness in patients attending ophthalmology OPD for visually handicap certificate. METHODS : A cross–sectional study was carried out in total 129 patients who attended Ophthalmology OPD fromAugust 2015–January 2016 for the purpose of obtainingvisually handicap certificate.Visual testing and refraction, Slit lamp and fundus examination, if required ultrasound, B–SCAN were done on all patients. RESULTS : Among the 129 patients who participated in the study 17(13.17%) gave history of blindness in family members. The causes of SVI and BL in the better eye of blind patients were refractive error(18.00%), pthisis bulbi(15.50%), corneal opacity(12.4%), optic atrophy(10.85%), retinal dystrophy(10.85%) etc. CONCLUSION : In this study it is found that retinal diseases, whole globe, corneal pathologies and refractive errors were the prominent causes of blindness.