Corneal ulcers in a tertiary hospital in Northern Nigeria

• Published in: Annals of African medicine 2013-07, Vol.12 (3), p.165-170
• Main Authors: Oladigbolu, Kehinde, Rafindadi, Abdulkadir, Abah, Emmanuel, Samaila, Elsie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Age Distribution; Aged; Child; Child, Preschool; Cornea; Corneal Ulcer - diagnosis; Corneal Ulcer - epidemiology; Corneal Ulcer - etiology; Corneal Ulcer - therapy; Female; Humans; Incidence; Infant; Length of Stay; Male; Middle Aged; Nigeria - epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Sex Distribution; Tertiary Care Centers; Treatment Outcome; Ulcers; Vision, Low - etiology; Visual Acuity; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1596-3519; 0975-5764
• DOI: 10.4103/1596-3519.117626

Background/Objective: To highlight the pattern of corneal ulcers at the Guinness Ophthalmic Unit, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Kaduna, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review of case notes of patients who presented with corneal ulcer at the Guinness Ophthalmic Unit, Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital between January 1995 and December 2005. Information obtained include demographic data, presenting complaints, predisposing factors, microbiological diagnosis, use of orthodox or traditional medications before presentation, duration before presentation and, presenting and final visual acuity. Results: A total of 228 cases presented within the 10 years study period. There were 129 (56.6%) males and 99 (43.4%) females. The age range was 15 months to 66 years. The commonest presenting complaints was poor vision 109 (47.8%) followed by lacrimation 97 (42.5%) and ocular pains 96 (42.1%). The common predisposing factors were trauma 117 (51.3%), use of traditional eye medications 39 (17.1%), self medication with topical steroids 13 (5.7%) and measles 9 (4.0%). The presenting visual acuity was