Eye Diseases In Children Research Articles

Ocular manifestations of toxocariasis in schoolchildren from the state from the Anzoátegui state in Venezuela

The objective of this study was to determine ocular manifestations of toxocariasis in schoolchildren. A study was conducted in two schools in the Anzoátegui state in Venezuela in 2019. The ELISA test was used to determine IgG antibodies against Toxocara spp. The families completed a questionnaire, and the children were clinically evaluated by pediatricians and ophthalmologists. 118 children participated, 18.6% presented anti-Toxocara spp. The clinical manifestations with a statistically significant association were allergic reactions, epiphora, and decreased visual acuity. The ophthalmological evaluation found keratitis, uveitis, iritis, retinal granuloma, endophthalmitis, amaurosis, leukocoria, retinal detachment and endotropia. The findings show a high frequency of eye disease in children with toxocariasis from a state of Venezuela.

Структура офтальмопатологии по данным НМИЦ «МНТК «Микрохирургия глаза» и развитие инновационных технологий

The article discusses the structure of ophthalmic pathology. These results are based on the analysis of statistical data of a large number of patients of the S. Fyodorov Eye Microsurgery Federal State Institution in 2019 (year before COVID-19 pandemic). In 2019 – 565988 patients were registered in medical database of our institution for the first time. The distribution of ophthalmic pathology among these patients was as follows. Cataract – 25.0%, including complicated cataract 15.9 %. Glaucoma – 3.1%; Vitreoretinal pathology – 8.2%; Diabetes – 2.9%; Oculoplastic pathology – 2.7%; Oncology – 1.1%; Eye diseases in children – 12.9%; Refractive errors – 17.2%; Diseases of the eye fundus – 12.6 %; Corneal pathology – 2.2%; Inflammatory diseases – 10.3%; Other diseases – 1.8 %. The article carefully describes the innovative technologies and the main trends that determine the overall development of such areas of ophthalmic surgery as: cataract surgery, glaucoma, corneal surgery, vitreoretinal surgery, laser refractive surgery, laser surgery of the retina and vitreous body, surgical manipulations in children, oculoplasty, ophthalmooncology. Key words: structure of ophthalmic pathology, innovative technologies of ophthalmic surgery, main trends of ophthalmic surgery.

Клініко-епідеміологічні особливості вродженої і спадкової очної патології у дітей

Актуальність. Спадкові та вроджені хвороби очей становлять 60–90 % усіх причин інвалідизуючого зниження зору в дітей. Лікування таких захворювань є малоефективним, а заходи щодо їх профілактики потребують суттєвого вдосконалення. Мета. З’ясування структури та клініко-епідеміологічних особливостей вродженої та спадкової офтальмопатології серед дитячого населення. Матеріали та методи. Були обстежені учні інтернатів для сліпих і слабозорих (максимально зосереджений контингент таких дітей у цих закладах — до 90 %), діти із психоневрологічною патологією (для визначення офтальмологічних проявів при синдромальних ураженнях) міста Києва та діти з вродженою і спадковою очною патологією, які зверталися до Національної дитячої спеціалізованої лікарні «Охматдит» (НДСЛ «Охматдит»). Діагностика генетично детермінованої патології органа зору трактувалась як підозра на спадкову патологію за результатами офтальмологічного обстеження, портретного методу та сімейного анамнезу. Діти з підозрою на очну патологію спадкового характеру скеровувалися для верифікації діагнозу до медико-генетичного центру НДСЛ «Охматдит». Результати. Під час дослідження виявлено, що спадкова та вроджена патологія очей значно обтяжує здоров’я дитячого населення. Спадкові захворювання органа зору учнів інтернатів для сліпих і слабозорих представлені 55 нозологічними формами переважно з аутосомно-домінантним типом успадкування — (40,00 ± 6,61) %. Найчастіше траплялася патологія сітківки і судинного тракту — (30,18 ± 3,53) %, зорового нерва — (24,85 ± 3,32) %, окорухового апарату — (13,61 ± 2,64) %. У (26,04 ± 3,38) % вони мали синдромальний характер. Ці хворби в (79,29 ± 3,12) % маніфестували при народженні, що визначає можливі терміни їх ранньої діагностики та початку реабілітації. Серед дітей із психоневрологічною патологією виявлено перевагу аномалій рефракції та патологію окорухового апарату, що були проявами синдромальних уражень. Висновки. Доведено, що існує можливість підозри генетично детермінованого характеру патології очей на основі результатів амбулаторного обстеження та збору сімейного анамнезу офтальмологом на амбулаторному прийомі.

Effect of Online Classes on Dry Eye Disease in Children: A Hospital Based Survey

Purpose: To determine the effect of online classes on dry eye disease in children.
 Study Design: Cross sectional study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Department of Ophthalmology HSK hospital, Navanagar, Bagalkot, India, from October 2020 to November 2020.
 Methods: A total of 454 students attending online classes between the ages of 3 – 18 years were selected. Questionnaire was presented which included name, age, sex, residence, duration of online studies and duration in hours per day along with the various signs and symptoms according to SPEED questionnaire. Statistical analysis was performed using the IBM SPSS version 17. Quantitative variables were presented as mean ± standard deviation, while qualitative data was presented as frequency and percentages and compared by chi square test. P-value of < 0.005 was considered as significant.
 Results: Of the 454 responses, 316 (69.6%) had symptoms of dry eye disease, of which 159 were girls and 157 boys. There was no significant difference between boys and girls. Children taking online classes for 2 – 3 hours and for 4 to 6 months duration were more affected by the dry eye disease. Based on severity of grading system, 246 (84.2%) had mild symptoms, 42 (9.3%) had moderate symptoms and 28 ([6.2%) had severe symptoms. One hundred and twenty children visited ophthalmologist and 28.5% had their treatment of dry eye started.
 Conclusion: Online classes have resulted in increase in the frequency of dry eye disease in children. Proper education about the usage of screen time and educating parents about early treatment is essential.
 Key Words: Dry eye disease, Symptoms, Headache, Online learning.

Environmental and Air Pollution Factors Affecting Allergic Eye Disease in Children and Adolescents in India.

The aim of this study was to describe the correlation between the meteorological and air pollution parameters with the temporal pattern of presentation of recent onset allergic eye disease (AED). This cross-sectional hospital-based study included new patients (≤21 years of age) presenting between January 2016 and August 2018 from the district of Hyderabad with a clinical diagnosis of AED and an acute exacerbation of recent onset of symptoms of less than 3 months duration. Correlation analysis was performed with the local environmental rainfall, temperature, humidity, windspeed, and air pollution. Of the 25,354 new patients hailing from the district of Hyderabad, 2494 (9.84%) patients were diagnosed with AED, of which 1062 (4.19%) patients had recent onset of symptoms. The mean monthly prevalence in this cohort was 4.13%, and the month of May (6.09%) showed the highest levels. The environmental parameters of humidity (r2 = 0.83/p = < 0.0001) and rainfall (r2 = 0.41/p = 0.0232) showed significant negative correlation, while temperature (r2 = 0.43/p = 0.0206) and ground-level ozone (r2 = 0.41/p = 0.0005) showed significant positive correlation with the temporal pattern of AED in the population. An increase in rainfall and humidity was associated with a lower prevalence, and an increase of temperature and ground-level ozone was associated with a higher prevalence of AED cases during the year among children and adolescents.

Vision Screening of Learners by Teachers in Kafue District in Zambia as a Strategy to Address the Challenges of Childhood Blindness

Background: Early detection and treatment of eye diseases in children is critical in combating childhood blindness. Innovative community-based strategies such as training of teachers in vision screening need to be developed for effective utilisation of the available human resources as well as to counter the challenges of inequitable distribution of trained eye health human resourcesas well as the limited access of quality eye health care services to the majority of our population.&#x0D; Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of using teachers as the first level of vision screeners.Materials and Methods: Teacher training programmes were conducted for schoolteachers to educate them about childhood eye diseases and the significance of their early detection. The teachers trained for the school vision screening were from all government, private and community schools located in Kafue District. The teachers then conducted vision screening of learners in their schools.Subsequently, the mobile eye health teams visited the schools for the re-evaluation of learners identified with poor vision. All learners identified with refractive errors had refraction performed on them and spectacles prescribed. The mobile eye health teams referred learners requiring a further ophthalmic evaluation to the University Teaching Hospitals – Eye Hospital which was the base hospital for the programme. The assessment included calculation of true positives, false positives, true negatives and false negatives.Results: One hundred and fifty-four (154) teachers from 73 primary and secondary schools underwent training in vision screening. The teachers screened 18,713 learners and reported eye diseases in 2,818 (15.1%) children. However, the mobile eye health teams examined 5,958 learners who included 2,818 referrals from teachers and 3,140 rescreened learners. The mobile eye health teams confirmed eye problems in 2,818 learners screened by the teachers and further diagnosed more eye problems in 999 learners giving a total of 3,817 learners with eye problems. Thus, the teachers were able to correctly identify eye problems (true positives) in 100.0% (2,818/2,818) of learners. The teachers could not identify eye problems in 999 learners giving false negatives were 26.2% (999/3,817).Conclusion: Considering the high true positive value and the comprehensive coverage provided by the survey, vision screening in schools by teachers is an effective method of identifying learners with eye problems and poor vision early. This strategy could be valuable in reducing the workload of the eye health care staff.

Vision Screening of Learners (School Children) by Teachers in Kafue District in Zambia as a Strategy to Address the Challenges of Childhood Blindness

Background: Early detection and treatment of eye diseases in children is critical in combating childhood blindness. Innovative community-based strategies such as training of teachers in vision screening need to be developed for effective utilisation of the available human resources as well as to counter the challenges of inequitable distribution of trained eye health human resources as well as the limited access of quality eye health care services to the majority of our population.&#x0D; Aim: To evaluate the effectiveness of using teachers as the first level of vision screeners.&#x0D; Materials and Methods: Teacher training programmes were conducted for schoolteachers to educate them about childhood eye diseases and the significance of their early detection. The teachers trained for the school vision screening were from all government, private and community schools located in Kafue District. The teachers then conducted vision screening of learners in their schools. Subsequently, the mobile eye health teams visited the schools for the re-evaluation of learners identified with poor vision. All learners identified with refractive errors had refraction performed on them and spectacles prescribed. The mobile eye health teams referred learners requiring a further ophthalmic evaluation to the University Teaching Hospitals – Eye Hospital which was the base hospital for the programme. The assessment included calculation of true positives, false positives, true negatives and false negatives.&#x0D; Results: One hundred and fifty-four (154) teachers from 73 primary and secondary schools underwent training in vision screening. The teachers screened 18,713 learners and reported eye diseases in 2,818 (15.1%) children. However, the mobile eye health teams examined 5,958 learners who included 2,818 referrals from teachers and 3,140 rescreened learners. The mobile eye health teams confirmed eye problems in 2,818 learners screened by the teachers and further diagnosed more eye problems in 999 learners giving a total of 3,817 learners with eye problems. Thus, the teachers were able to correctly identify eye problems (true positives) in 100.0% (2,818/2,818) of learners. The teachers could not identify eye problems in 999 learners giving false negatives were 26.2% (999/3,817).&#x0D; Conclusion: Considering the high true positive value and the comprehensive coverage provided by the survey, vision screening in schools by teachers is an effective method of identifying learners with eye problems and poor vision early. This strategy could be valuable in reducing the workload of the eye health care staff.

Evaluation of dry eye disease in children with blepharokeratoconjunctivitis

ObjectiveTo evaluate the symptoms and signs of dry eye disease (DED) in children diagnosed with blepharokeratoconjunctivitis (BKC). DesignProspective case-controlled study ParticipantsConsecutive patients with BKC and normal controls. MethodsAll participants underwent a comprehensive dry eye assessment including the Canadian Dry Eye Assessment (CDEA) questionnaire, tear film osmolarity test, Schirmer's test without anesthesia, slit lamp examination, tear film break-up time, corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), and lissamine green conjunctival staining (LGCS), according to the Sjögren's International Collaborative Clinical Alliance ocular staining score. For each test the result of the more severe eye was included in the statistical analysis. ResultsTwenty-five patients were recruited—11 with BKC and 14 healthy controls. No difference in symptoms was found between children with BKC (CDEA score 6.1 ± 5.5) and normal controls (CDEA score 3.6 ± 3.2; p = 0.16). Children with BKC had significantly higher mean CFS (1.1 ± 1.6 vs 0.1 ± 0.4; p = 0.04) but similar mean LGCS (1.4 ± 1.8 vs 1.5 ± 2.1; p = 0.81) than normal controls. No statistically significant differences were observed in other tests between the 2 groups. CDEA scores were significantly correlated to CFS in normal controls (r = 0.59, p = 0.03), and approached significance in children with BKC (r = 0.56, p = 0.07). ConclusionsThe only test that can distinguish DED in patients with BKC from children without BKC is the CFS score. This should guide management and monitoring of this unique patient population with DED symptoms and signs.

Examen oftalmológico durante el control del niño sano en atención primaria: conocimiento y dificultades de los miembros del equipo de salud

IntroductionThe red reflex examination (RRE) and visual acuity testing (VA) is a mandatory part of the examination during the well-child visits (WCV) in primary health care centres of the public system of health in Chile. The eye examination is aimed at the early detection of severe eye diseases in children, such as retinoblastoma, congenital cataracts, and amblyopia. The knowledge and difficulties experienced by health workers in primary care health centres for evaluating the red reflex during WCV in Chile is unknown. Material and methodsA survey was performed in primary community health centres of XXX Santiago de Chile. ResultsThe WCV were mainly performed by physicians (45.2%) and nurses (35.8%). Only 34% of health workers performed the red reflex test, and 42.3% checked VA during the WCV. The main reasons for not doing it include the lack of direct ophthalmoscopes and VA charts (55.2% and 43.9%, respectively) at their centres, and not having the knowledge or skills (29.3% and 22%, respectively) to properly perform these clinical tests. ConclusionIn this series, the eye examination of children attending WCV was unfrequently performed. A better implementation of the health centres and training of the health workers are needed in order to improve the access and quality of the paediatric eye examination in primary health care institutions in Chile.

Dry eye disease in children and adolescents in India

PurposeTo describe the etiological causes and clinical profile of dry eye disease (DED) among children and adolescents seeking eye care in India. MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study of 1023 new patients (≤21 years of age) diagnosed with DED presenting between 2010 and 2018 to a multi-tier ophthalmology hospital network. Children and adolescents with both symptoms and signs of dry eyes were considered as subjects. The data entry and retrieval were done using an electronic medical record system and analyzed using appropriate statistical tests. ResultsThe mean age of the patients was 15.2 ± 5.6 years and 76% were in their early and late adolescence. Overall, the main etiologies responsible for DED in children and adolescents were Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) in 49% of cases, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) in 33% and Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) in 9%. Aqueous deficiency dry eye (ADDE) because of SJS and VAD accounted for most of the cases in infancy (92%), toddlerhood (96%), early childhood (76%) and middle childhood (68%). While Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) related evaporative dry eye (EDE) was the leading cause of DED in early (51%) and late adolescence (66%). Severe visual impairment and blindness was significantly greater in eyes with ADDE as compared to those with EDE (p < 0.0001), 81% of which were affected by SJS. ConclusionThe causes of and visual morbidity due to DED varied significantly in different age-groups. Most of the visual morbidity in children and adolescents was limited to eyes with ADDE due to SJS.

Epidemiology of visual impairment, sight-threatening or treatment-requiring diabetic eye disease in children and young people in the UK: findings from DECS

BackgroundWe investigated the incidence and causes of sight-threatening diabetes-related eye disease in children living with diabetes in the UK, to inform the national eye screening programme and enable monitoring of...

GJA8 missense mutation disrupts hemichannels and induces cell apoptosis in human lens epithelial cells

Autosomal dominant congenital cataract (ADCC), the most common hereditary disease, is a major cause of eye disease in children. Due to its high genetic and clinical heterogeneity, the identification of ADCC-associated gene mutations is essential for the development of molecular therapies. In this study, we examined a four-generation Chinese pedigree with ADCC and identified putative mutations in ADCC candidate genes via next-generation sequencing (NGS) followed by Sanger sequencing. A novel missense mutation in GJA8 (c.T217C) in ADCC patients causes a serine-to-proline substitution at residue 73 of connexin 50 (Cx50); no mutation was found in unaffected family members and unrelated healthy individuals. Functional analysis revealed that this missense mutation disrupts protein function in human lens epithelial cells (HLEpiCs), which fails to form calcium-sensitive hemichannels. Furthermore, mutant Cx50 leads to decreased ROS scavenging by inhibiting G6PD expression and thus induces cell apoptosis via aberrant activation of the unfolded protein response (UPR). In conclusion, we report a novel GJA8 heterozygous mutation in a Chinese family with a vital role in ADCC, broadening the genetic spectrum of this disease.

Allergic eye disease in children and adolescents seeking eye care in India: Electronic medical records driven big data analytics report II

PurposeTo describe the demographics, clinical presentation and risk-factors of allergic eye disease (AED) in children and adolescents presenting to a multi-tier ophthalmology hospital network in India. MethodsThis was a hospital-based cross-sectional study of 259,969 new patients (≤21 years of age) presenting between 2010 and 2018. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of AED were considered as cases. Data were collected using an electronic medical record system. Multiple logistic regression with odds ratios (OR) was performed to identify the high risk-factors of AED. ResultsOverall, 26,309 (10.1%) children and adolescents were diagnosed with AED. The prevalence of AED was 0.3%, 6.6%, 18.3%, 15.8%, 8.1%, and 4.9% in infancy (<1 years), toddlerhood (1–2 years), early childhood (3–5 years), middle childhood (6–11 years), early adolescence (12–18 years) and late adolescence (18–21 years), respectively. Most patients with AED presented in spring and summer. Palpebral vernal keratoconjunctivitis was the commonest clinical form, seen in 42.8% of eyes. Corneal scarring, keratoconus, limbal stem cell deficiency and shield ulcers were seen in 2.4%, 1.4%, 0.4% and 0.3% of eyes, respectively. Male sex (OR 2.05); early and middle childhood age groups (OR 66.6; 59.1); higher socio-economic class (OR 1.46) and history of systemic allergy (OR 3.74) were identified as high-risk factors of AED. ConclusionAbout a tenth of the children and adolescents seeking eye care in India are affected by AED, which commonly affects boys with atopy, from middle to higher income families during their early to middle childhood and shows a self-limiting trend by late adolescence.

Dry Eye Disease Is More Prevalent in Children with Diabetes than in Those without Diabetes

ABSTRACTPurpose: To compare the prevalence of dry eye disease between children with and without diabetes, and analyze the factors associated with dry eye disease in children with diabetes.Materials and methods: 38 children with diabetes were selected as cases, and 40 children without diabetes constituted the control group. The prevalence of dry eye disease in both groups was statistically analyzed. Related factors of dry eye disease were analyzed in children with diabetes.Results: The prevalence of dry eye disease in the case group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < .01), with the attributable proportion among the exposed (0.827) and the population attributable fraction (0.700). Univariate analysis showed that the diabetes duration, best-corrected visual acuity, corneal sensation, and levels of glycosylated hemoglobin were associated with dry eye disease in children with diabetes. Logistic regression analysis revealed that only diabetes duration and corneal sensation were independent factors associated with dry eye disease. The diabetes duration was significantly higher and the level of corneal sensation was significantly lower in subjects with dry eye disease than in those without dry eye disease.Conclusions: Early screening and close follow-up of dry eye disease in children with diabetes should be strictly implemented, especially in children with a long duration of diabetes and those with peripheral neuropathy.

Pattern of Eye Diseases in Children Visiting Ophthalmology Outpatient Department in Government Medical College Jammu: An Observational Study

Pattern of Eye Diseases in Children Visiting Ophthalmology Outpatient Department in Government Medical College Jammu: An Observational Study

Evaluation of eye-related parameters and adverse events of rigid gas permeable contact lens and spectacles correction in infants with monocular aphakia after congenital cataract surgery: a retrospective clinical study

BackgroundCongenital cataract is currently one of the leading blindness-causing eye diseases in children. Surgical treatment only opens the visual pathway for children. The postoperative recovery of visual function is also dependent on effective optical correction and visual function training. In this study, we analyzed the changes in eye-related parameters, adverse events and the annual cost of rigid gas permeable contact lens (RGPCL) and spectacles correction in infants with monocular aphakia after congenital cataract surgery.MethodsTo analyze the postoperative visual acuity, strabismus, nystagmus, myopic shift, globe axial length growth, adverse events, patient adherence to patching, and annual cost for patients with unilateral congenital cataract who underwent cataract surgery. Rigid gas permeable contact lenses or spectacles were used to correct aphakia after congenital cataract.ResultsOf the 49 patients, 20 patients with unilateral aphakia who used RGPCL were in group 1. Group 2 comprised 14 patients with persistent fetal vasculature (PFV) who used RGPCL, and there were 15 patients with spectacles in group 3. In group 1, there were important improvements in visual acuity, strabismus and nystagmus. In groups 2 and 3, there were no significant improvements in visual acuity, strabismus or nystagmus. Patients with a good adherence to patching had better visual acuity after the operation than patients who did not, in groups 1 and 3. There were no significant differences in myopic shift or rate of globe axial length growth among the 3 groups. No patients in group 1 had ocular disease that affected visual acuity. The mean annual expenses of the RGPCL group was 3965 yuan, and the mean annual cost of spectacles was 1140 yuan to 2500 yuan.ConclusionRGPCL is a safe and effective optical correction method for patients with monocular aphakia after congenital cataract surgery. Spectacles are not an ideal optical correction. Using RGPCL to correct patients with PFV, the final visual acuity improved, but the difference was not statistically significant. There were no improvements in strabismus or nystagmus in patients with PFV.

Evaluation of Dry Eye Disease in Children With Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Healthy Controls.

To compare the symptoms and signs of dry eye disease (DED) in children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) with those in healthy children using common diagnostic tools. Prospective, observational, single-center cohort study. Thirty-four subjects with SLE and 15 healthy subjects were recruited from the Hospital for Sick Children in Toronto, Canada. Subjects underwent subjective and objective dry eye assessments using the Canadian Dry Eye Assessment (CDEA) questionnaire, tear film osmolarity, slit lamp examination, tear film break-up time, corneal fluorescein staining, Schirmer test 1, and conjunctival lissamine green staining. No difference in symptoms was found between children with SLE and healthy children (CDEA score 6.4 ± 5.4 vs. 3.8 ± 3.2; P = 0.09). Corneal staining was more prevalent in children with SLE than in healthy children (58.8% vs. 20.0%; P = 0.01), and children with SLE had higher mean corneal fluorescein staining scores (1.7 ± 1.7 vs. 0.2 ± 0.4; P = 0.002). No statistically significant differences in tear osmolarity, inter-eye differences in tear osmolarity, tear film break-up time, Schirmer test 1, or lissamine green staining scores were observed between the 2 groups. In healthy children, CDEA scores weakly correlated with corneal fluorescein staining score (r = 0.53, P = 0.04). In children with SLE, no correlation between CDEA score and any of the diagnostic test outcomes was found. There is discordance between symptoms and signs of DED in children with SLE. Corneal fluorescein staining is essential for the diagnosis of DED in these children.

A multicentre study evaluating the risk and prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in children and young people with type 1 diabetes mellitus

IntroductionThere is currently limited data published on the prognostic factors and prevalence of diabetic eye disease in children and young people (CYP) with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), yet diabetic retinopathy remains one of the commonest causes of blindness in young adults. The aim of this study was to determine the risk and prevalence of diabetic retinopathy (DR) and to evaluate the risk factors associated with diabetic retinopathy in CYP with T1DM. MethodsAll CYP with Type 1 diabetes between 12 and 18 years of age, registered with the regional diabetic retinopathy screening programme were evaluated from 2012 to 2013 in four diabetes units within the north west region of the United Kingdom. Patients who had evidence of diabetic retinopathy were reviewed to identify risk factors for presence or absence of diabetic retinopathy. Results237 patients between the ages 12–18 years were included in the. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy was 11%. Out of 27 patients with evidence of diabetic retinopathy, 44% were reported as background changes and 56% had pre-proliferative DR. Significant risk factors for diabetic retinopathy disease in the population using univariate analyses were duration of diabetes, puberty, age at diagnosis and mean HbA1c in the preceding 12 months. Multivariate logistic regression analysis found age of diagnosis (p = 0.04) and mean HbA1c as significant independent risk factors for presence of diabetic retinopathy (p = 0.02). ConclusionsThe prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in this paediatric population was 11%. Early age at diagnosis and poor metabolic control are independent risk factors for diabetic retinopathy.

Epidemiological characteristics of 133 children with ocular trauma in Gansu Province

Objective To analyze the characteristics and related factors of children with ocular trauma. Methods The data of 136 eyes of 133 children with ocular trauma from Jan. 2012 to Dec. 2016 were collected and retrospectively analyzed. The gender, age, wounded months, the cause of injury, injury eye, trauma type, complications, treatment method and results were analyzed. Results The male to female ratio was 2.24∶1; the age ranged from 0 to 14 years, average (6.01±3.26) years. The school-age children group, 7-14 years, were the most (42.10%). The cause of injuries was mainly plant injuries (21.80%), included sticks and branches, followed by metal sharps damage (21.05%), mainly included scissors and wire. The type of ocular trauma was mainly penetrating injury (36.84%), contusion of annexa oculi (22.56%), contusion of eyeball (23.31%). The most common complications of ocular trauma were traumatic cataract (16.79%), hyphema (12.69%) and endophthalmitis (7.46%). Most children were difficult to check with vision, the visual acuity was less than 0.05 in 29.69% of children who were performed the examination of visual acuity. Conclusion Ocular trauma is one of the major blinding eye diseases in children, with more complications and related risk factors, but most can be prevented. Key words: Trauma, ocular, children; Epidemiology

Excessive medical problems in the treatment of common eye diseases in children

In this paper, some typical excessive medical problems in the treatment of common eye diseases in children were listed as follows: unnecessary examinations carried out for children with little or no corresponding complaints; prescription for spectacles for physiological hyperopia or astigmatism in children; over-diagnosis, over-or nonstandard-treatment for amblyopia; strabismus surgeries performed in children with esotropia but without full optical correction of hyperopic refractive error, in children with monocular strabismus and amblyopia but without standard cover therapy, in children with intermittent exotropia but without optical correction of myopic refractive errors and myopic anisometropia, and without evaluation of their fusional control ability; exaggerated the harm of myopia and the curative effect of Orthokeratology contact lenses without considering the patient's compliance; cataract surgery performed in infants with partial opacity of the lens that has little effect on the vision. Every ophthalmologist should work based on evidence-based preferred practice pattern, professional standards and expert consensus to promote the standardization of the diagnosis and treatment of children's common eye diseases in China. (Chin J Ophthalmol, 2016, 52: 561-564).