EVALUATION OF VARIOUS CAUSES OF CEREBRAL VISUAL IMPAIRMENT IN CHILDREN AT TERTIARY CARE CENTRE

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the etiology, associated ophthalmological and neurological ndings of cerebral visual impairment (CVI) in children at a tertiary care center. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 71 patients visiting between February 2020 to August 2021 at a tertiary care hospital, J.L.N. medical college and hospital, Ajmer, Rajasthan. Diagnosis of CVI was based on ocular examination found poor visual function that could not be accounted by age, ocular ndings and neuroimaging.Results: The records of 44 boys and 27 girls were analysed. Majority of them were <3yrs (40.8%) . The most common etiology was perinatal hypoxia (29%), followed by prematurity (22.5%). Moreover, 9(12.7%) showed mixed aetiology, 8(11.3%) had hydrocephalus and 7(9.9%) had hypoglycemia . Amongst the ocular associations, refractive error was the most common, seen in 32 (45%) children, while strabismus in 31 (44%), nystagmus in 22(31%). Thirty two (45%) children had associated developmental delay, while 38(53%) had seizures. The most common ndings were ischemic encephalopathy (31%), periventricular leukomalacia (23%), cortical and subcortical atrophy and structural malformations (24%). Conclusion: CVI is of increasing importance as a cause of vision impairment in children. The major causes for CVI tend to be perinatal hypoxia followed by prematurity. Establishing the etiology for these children at early age may aid in early rehabilitation of these children.