Ophthalmological evaluation in children referred to a low-vision rehabilitation project of a social assistance agency

Abstract

A low-vision (LV) rehabilitated child can receive comprehensive education. Objec tive: To study the profile of school children referred for evaluation to a rehabilitation project in a social assistance agency. Descriptive cross-sectional study of beneficiaries evaluated between September 2015 and September 2016 in the National Board of School Assistan ce and Scholarships (JUNAEB). The referral diagnosis, monocular visual acuity (VA) with optical correction at far (Feinbloom chart) and close (Zeiss chart) distances were considered. They were classified according to VA and perimetry. Treatment success was considered if VA reaches > 0.4 at far and/or close distances with optical devices. 278 students were assessed. 153 (55%) were men, 121 (43.5%) between the ages of 10 to 14. Bilateral congenital cataract, retinal dystrophies, high myopia, optic atrophy, and congenital nystagmus were the most frequent pathologies. 224 students (80.6%) received optical devices. 85 (37.9%) presented moderate LV and 63 (28.6%) severe LV; 122 (54.5%) presented normal perimetry, 68 (30.4%) tubular Visual Field (VF), 19 (8.5%) sectoral VF defects, and 15 (6.7%) central scotoma. 198 (88.4%) students achieved visual success at a far distance and all achieved visual success at a near distance. 48 (17.2%) students could not be rehabilitated due to a neuro-ophthalmological condition (41.7%), high refractive error (16.6%) or congenital glauco ma (10.4%).Six (2.2%) cases improved VA with a new optical correction. This success demonstrates the need to provide low vision aids to schoolchildren with LV. Our challenge is to maintain this program and to educate ophthalmologist for timely referral.