PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL AETIOLOGY OF CORNEAL BLINDNESS IN ADULT POPULATION – A CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY
Main Article Content
Keywords
Corneal blindness, Visual impairment, Infectious keratitis, Trauma, Rural health, Leucomatous opacity, Prevalence, Aetiology, Ophthalmology, Cross-sectional study
Abstract
Background: Corneal blindness remains a significant cause of visual impairment and blindness in developing nations, particularly in rural populations with limited access to healthcare. This study was undertaken to determine the prevalence and aetiology of corneal blindness in adults attending a tertiary care hospital. Methods: A cross-sectional observational study was conducted over a period of one year at the Department of Ophthalmology, SVRRGG Hospital. A total of 138 adult patients (aged 18–70 years) with best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) ≤3/60 in either or both eyes due to corneal causes were included. Data were collected using structured case forms, and clinical evaluation included slit-lamp examination, visual acuity assessment, and microbiological investigations where indicated. Results: The prevalence of corneal blindness was found to be 1.2%. The majority of the affected individuals were in the 41–50 year age group (28.3%), male (55.8%), from rural backgrounds (73.9%), and of lower socioeconomic status (81.1%). The most common occupations were farming and agricultural labor. Trauma (44.2%) was the leading cause of corneal blindness, followed closely by infectious keratitis (42.8%), with fungal ulcers being the most prevalent among infections. The most common clinical diagnosis was leucomatous corneal opacity (48.6%). Conclusion: Corneal blindness predominantly affects economically disadvantaged rural populations, with trauma and infectious keratitis being the leading causes. Preventive measures, improved access to eye care services, and awareness programs targeting rural agricultural communities are essential to reduce the burden of corneal blindness.
References
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26. Kounser A, Rasool A, Wani JS, Manzoor N. Etiology of corneal blindness in patients attending a tertiary care center in Kashmir. 2022.
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29. Veladanda R, Ch SS, Pallapolu L, Singh C, Desaraju V. A hospital-based clinical study on corneal blindness in a tertiary eye care centre in North Telangana.
30. Sitoula A, Das S, Choudhury S, Saha S. Comprehensive analysis of treatment outcomes in fungal keratitis: A decade of clinical insights. J Clin Ophthalmol. 2021;9(2):145–52.
31. Sony P, Sharma N, Sen S, Vajpayee RB. Indications of penetrating keratoplasty in northern India. Cornea. 2005 Nov;24(8):989–91.
2. Dada T, Sharma N, Vajpayee RB. Indications for pediatric keratoplasty in India. Cornea. 1999 May;18(3):296–8.
3. Aasuri MK, Garg P, Gokhle N, Gupta S. Penetrating keratoplasty in children. Cornea. 2000 Mar;19(2):140–4.
4. Dandona L, Dandona R, Srinivas M, Giridhar P, Vilas K, Prasad MN, et al. Blindness in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2001 Apr;42(5):908–16.
5. Whitcher JP, Srinivasan M, Upadhyay MP. Corneal blindness: a global perspective. Bull World Health Organ. 2001;79(3):214–21.
6. Dandona R, Dandona L. Corneal blindness in a southern Indian population: need for health promotion strategies. Br J Ophthalmol. 2003 Feb;87(2):133–41.
7. Garg P, Krishna PV, Stratis AK, Gopinathan U. The value of corneal transplantation in reducing blindness. Eye (Lond). 2005 Oct;19(10):1106–14.
8. Kalaivani K. Corneal Blindness – A clinical study. Indian J Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2021 Jan 15;3(2):224–6.
9. Mohod PN, Nikose AS, Laddha PM, Bharti S. Incidence of various causes of infectious keratitis in the part of rural central India and its visual morbidity: prospective hospital-based observational study. J Clin Ophthalmol Res. 2019;7(1):31.
10. Tandon R, Sinha R, Moulick P, Agarwal P, Titiyal JS, Vajpayee RB. Pattern of bilateral blinding corneal disease in patients waiting for keratoplasty in a tertiary eye care centre in northern India. Cornea. 2010 Mar;29(3):269–71.
11. Acharya M, Farooqui JH, Gaba T, Gandhi A, Mathur U. Delhi Infectious Keratitis Study: Update on Clinico-Microbiological Profile and Outcomes of Infectious Keratitis. J Curr Ophthalmol. 2020 Jul 4;32(3):249–55.
12. Singh M, Gour A, Gandhi A, Mathur U, Farooqui JH. Demographic details, risk factors, microbiological profile, and clinical outcomes of pediatric infectious keratitis cases in North India. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2020 Mar;68(3):434–40.
13. Bharathi JM, Srinivasan M, Ramakrishnan R, Meenakshi R, Padmavathy S, Lalitha PN. A study of the spectrum of Acanthamoeba keratitis: A three-year study at a tertiary eye care referral center in South India. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2007 Feb;55(1):37–42.
14. Nagpal H, Kaur M. Etiology of corneal blindness: A clinical study. IOSR J Dent Med Sci. 2020;19:47–9.
15. Devi DMB, Kurmi S. Etiological Study of Corneal Blindness. IOSR J Nurs Health Sci. 2017 Jun;6(3):66–71.
16. Srinivasan M, Gonzales C, George C, Cevallos V, Mascarenhas J, Asokan B, et al. Epidemiology and aetiological diagnosis of corneal ulceration in Madurai, south India. Br J Ophthalmol. 1997 Nov;81(11):965–71.
17. Murthy GVS, Vashist P, John N, Pokharel G, Ellwein LB. Prevalence and causes of visual impairment and blindness in older adults in an area of India with a high cataract surgical rate. Ophthalmic Epidemiol. 2010 Aug;17(4):185–95.
18. Vijaya L, George R, Arvind H, Baskaran M, Raju P, Ramesh SV, et al. Prevalence and causes of blindness in the rural population of the Chennai Glaucoma Study. Br J Ophthalmol. 2006 Apr;90(4):407–10.
19. Nirmalan PK, Katz J, Tielsch JM, Robin AL, Thulasiraj RD, Krishnadas R, et al. Ocular trauma in a rural south Indian population: the Aravind Comprehensive Eye Survey. Ophthalmology. 2004 Sep;111(9):1778–81.
20. Sharma B, Gupta R, Anand R, Rajput M. Demographic profile of blindness in patients attending tertiary eye care centre in Central India. Int J Med Res Rev. 2013 Oct 31;1(4):149–55.
21. Dandona L, Naduvilath TJ, Janarthanan M, Rao GN. Causes of corneal graft failure in India. Indian J Ophthalmol. 1998 Sep 1;46(3):149.
22. Nangalia P, Nigwekar SP. Etiological study of corneal lesions leading to visual impairment in adult patients at rural hospital – a descriptive cross-sectional study. Medico Res Chron. 2019;6(6):310–5.
23. Feng CM. [The causes of blindness by corneal diseases in 3,499 cases]. Zhonghua Yan Ke Za Zhi. 1990 May;26(3):151–3. Chinese.
24. Gopinathan U, Sharma S, Garg P, Rao GN. Review of epidemiological features, microbiological diagnosis and treatment outcome of microbial keratitis: Experience of over a decade. Indian J Ophthalmol. 2009;57(4):273–9.
25. Hsiao CH, Sun CC, Yeh LK, Ma DHK, Chen PYF, Lin HC, et al. Shifting trends in bacterial keratitis in Taiwan: a 10-year review in a tertiary-care hospital. Cornea. 2016 Mar;35(3):313–7.
26. Kounser A, Rasool A, Wani JS, Manzoor N. Etiology of corneal blindness in patients attending a tertiary care center in Kashmir. 2022.
27. Maurin JF, Renard JP, Ahmedou O, Bidaux F, Dordain Y, Pariselle J, et al. [Corneal blindness in tropical areas]. Med Trop (Mars). 1995;55(4 Pt 2):445–9. French.
28. Atti S, Killani SP, Peram V, Sujatha N. A clinical study of etiology of corneal opacities. MRIMS J Health Sci. 2015 Jan 1;3(1):39.
29. Veladanda R, Ch SS, Pallapolu L, Singh C, Desaraju V. A hospital-based clinical study on corneal blindness in a tertiary eye care centre in North Telangana.
30. Sitoula A, Das S, Choudhury S, Saha S. Comprehensive analysis of treatment outcomes in fungal keratitis: A decade of clinical insights. J Clin Ophthalmol. 2021;9(2):145–52.
31. Sony P, Sharma N, Sen S, Vajpayee RB. Indications of penetrating keratoplasty in northern India. Cornea. 2005 Nov;24(8):989–91.
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Published
Sep 11, 2024
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How to Cite
Vuyyala Lilly Joy, Badugu Ramalakshmi, & Adala Sadana. (2024). PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL AETIOLOGY OF CORNEAL BLINDNESS IN ADULT POPULATION – A CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 31(9), 4002-4010. https://doi.org/10.53555/5et79k98
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Author Biographies
Vuyyala Lilly Joy
Dept of Ophthalmology, SV Medical College, Tirupati
Badugu Ramalakshmi
Assistant Professor, Dept of Ophthalmology, SV Medical College, Tirupati
Adala Sadana
Associate Professor, Dept of Ophthalmology, SV Medical College, Tirupati
How to Cite
Vuyyala Lilly Joy, Badugu Ramalakshmi, & Adala Sadana. (2024). PREVALENCE AND CLINICAL AETIOLOGY OF CORNEAL BLINDNESS IN ADULT POPULATION – A CROSS-SECTIONAL OBSERVATIONAL STUDY. Journal of Population Therapeutics and Clinical Pharmacology, 31(9), 4002-4010. https://doi.org/10.53555/5et79k98