Central corneal thickness in black Cameroonian ocular hypertensive and glaucomatous subjects

Christelle Domngang Noche1, André Omgbwa Eballe2, Assumpta Lucienne Bella31Innel Medical Center, 2Faculty of Medicine, University of Douala, 3Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé, CameroonPurpose: To evaluate central corneal thickness (CCT) in a black Cameroonian population of ocular hypertensive and glaucomatous subjects.Material and methods: This was a prospective study undertaken with an ultrasonic pachymeter from January 2009 to December 2009 in an eye clinic (INNEL Medical center) in Yaoundé, Cameroon.Results: One hundred subjects (200 eyes) were enrolled in the study. Sixty subjects were glaucomatous (primary open angle glaucoma, POAG group), and 40 ocular hypertensive (OHT group). The mean age of the sample was 52.60 ± 12.23 years. For the whole sample, CCT was 534.71 ± 37.95 µm in the right eye and 533.61 ± 37.67 µm in the left eye, with no statistically significant difference between the 2 eyes (P = 0.446). CCT in the POAG group was 526.30 ± 37.34 µm in the right eye and 524.90 ± 35.92 µm in the left eye. CCT in the OHT group was 547.32 ± 35.71 µm in the right eye and 546.67 ± 36.85 µm in the left eye. There was a statistically significant difference between CCT of the 2 groups (right eye: P = 0.013; left eye: P = 0.007).Conclusion: Mean CCT of ocular hypertensive subjects was thicker than CCT of glaucomatous ones in our Cameroonian sample. However, in both ocular hypertensive or glaucomatous patients, CCT of black Cameroonians is thinner than that reported in other studies in Caucasian populations.Keywords: central corneal thickness, ocular hypertension, glaucoma, black Cameroonia

Diabetic retinopathy at the Yaoundé Central Hospital in Cameroon: epidemiology and angiographic findings

We carried out a cross-sectional analytical survey using data from patients who had done Fluorescein Angiography at the Yaounde Central Hospital Diabetic Retinopathy Prevention and Management Project between October 2007 and January 2010 to identify the risk factors, incidence and severity of different types of diabetic retinopathy. Data from 239 males (57.0%) and 180 females (43.0%) with diabetic retinopathy were included. Their mean age was 58.2 years. A majority of them were living with type II diabetes (96.2%). The mean duration of diabetes was 8.2 years. About sixty percent had both diabetes and hypertension. The average level of glycated haemoglobin was 9.72% (range 6-17.7%). Amongst the 419 patients with diabetic retinopathy, 292(69.7%) had non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy. One hundred and twelve (26.7%) of those with proliferative diabetic retinopathy had a formal indication for laser photocoagulation. Fifteen patients (3.6%) presented with complicated forms of proliferative diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic maculopathy was present in 30 patients (7.2%). Diabetic retinopathy is a frequent complication of diabetes in our setting which stems from inadequate emphasis on preventive measures. The technical requirements for managing some of the existing complications are still unavailable. Fluorescein Angiography is an important diagnostic tool which should be popularized.Pan African Medical Journal 2012; 13:5

Intraocular live male filarial Loa loa worm

We report a case of Loa loa filariasis in an 8-month-old child who presented with a 3-month history of irritated acute red eye and insomnia. Examination revealed a living and active adult Loa loa worm in the anterior chamber of the left eye. The worm was extracted under general anesthetic

Prevalence and etiologies of visual handicaps in leprosy patients in the south of Cameroon

We report on a prospective study undertaken in April 2008, in 11 leper villages of the Southern Cameroon. Our aim was to determine the prevalence and the causes of bilateral blindness, low vision and unilateral blindness in the population of leprosy patients, irrespective of the clinical aspects of the illness

Prevalence and causes of blindness at a tertiary hospital in Douala, Cameroon

André Omgbwa Eballé1,4, Côme Ebana Mvogo1,3, Godefroy Koki2, Nyouma Mounè3, Cyrille Teutu5, Augustin Ellong2,3, Assumpta Lucienne Bella2,41Faculty of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Douala, Douala, Cameroon; 2Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Yaoundé I, Yaoundé, Cameroon; 3General Hospital of Douala, Ophthalmology Unit, Douala, Cameroon; 4Cameroon National Blindness Control Programme, Ministry of Public Health, Yaoundé, Cameroon; 5Higher Institute of Health Sciences, Mountain University, Banganté, CameroonPurpose: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and causes of bilateral and unilateral blindness in the town of Douala and its environs based on data from the ophthalmic unit of a tertiary hospital in Douala.Methods: We conducted a retrospective epidemiological survey of consultations at the eye unit of the Douala General Hospital over the last 20 years (from January 1, 1990 to December 31, 2009).Results: Out of the 1927 cases of blindness, 1000 were unilateral, corresponding to a hospital prevalence of 1.84% and 927 cases were bilateral, corresponding to a hospital prevalence of 1.71%. No statistically significant difference was noted between the two (P = 0.14). The leading causes of bilateral blindness were cataract (50.1%), glaucoma (19.7%), and diabetic retinopathy (7.8%) while the leading causes of unilateral blindness were cataract (40.4%), glaucoma (14.1%), and retinal detachment (9.1%). Cataract (51.2%), cortical blindness (16.3%), and congenital glaucoma (10%) were the leading causes of bilateral blindness in children aged less than 10 years.Conclusion: Blindness remains a public health problem in the Douala region with a hospital prevalence which is relatively higher than the national estimate given by the National Blindness Control Program.Keywords: bilateral blindness, unilateral blindness, prevalence, Douala, Cameroo