BACKGROUND: odular complications of leprosy can lead to blindness.
OBJECTIVE: to report the pattern and determinants of ocular complications in patients with leprosy from eastern Nepal.
METHODS: a cross-sectional study was carried out analyzing one hundred and eighty six patients of leprosy presenting between Jan 2002-Nov 2004. All the patients were categorized using WHO and Ridley and Jopling classification. After determining bacillary indices in all of them, a detailed ocular examination was carried out. Independent risk factors were determined for ocular involvement.
RESULTS: ocular complications were found in 30.65% of the leprosy patients; lagophthalmos (17.74%) was the most frequent followed by uveitis (8.60%). Most of the patients having visual loss had it due to corneal complications and none of the patients with uveitis had vision <6/18. The patients released from treatment (83.33%) and those currently on treatment (31.63%) had higher occurrence of complications. Risk factors for ocular involvement were higher bacillary index, longer disease duration (p-=0.031, RR=1.109, 95% CI=1.009-01.218) and decreased corneal sensation(p=0.001, RR=3.564; 95 % C I=2.014-6.306). Higher Schirmer values (p=0.012, RR=0.935, 95% CI=0.888-0.985) were found to be protective for ocular complications. STASTICS: SPSS ver 10.0 was used for data analysis. The P value of <0.05 was considered as significant.
CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence of complications is high in patients released from treatment for leprosy. Cornea-related complications are the most important cause of visual disability and blindness. Risk factors for ocular complications are higher bacillary index, longer disease duration and decreased corneal sensation.
BT - Nepalese journal of ophthalmology : a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal of the Nepal Ophthalmic Society : NEPJOPH C1 - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21141014?dopt=Abstract DA - 2009 Jan-Jun IS - 1 J2 - Nepal J Ophthalmol LA - eng N2 -BACKGROUND: odular complications of leprosy can lead to blindness.
OBJECTIVE: to report the pattern and determinants of ocular complications in patients with leprosy from eastern Nepal.
METHODS: a cross-sectional study was carried out analyzing one hundred and eighty six patients of leprosy presenting between Jan 2002-Nov 2004. All the patients were categorized using WHO and Ridley and Jopling classification. After determining bacillary indices in all of them, a detailed ocular examination was carried out. Independent risk factors were determined for ocular involvement.
RESULTS: ocular complications were found in 30.65% of the leprosy patients; lagophthalmos (17.74%) was the most frequent followed by uveitis (8.60%). Most of the patients having visual loss had it due to corneal complications and none of the patients with uveitis had vision <6/18. The patients released from treatment (83.33%) and those currently on treatment (31.63%) had higher occurrence of complications. Risk factors for ocular involvement were higher bacillary index, longer disease duration (p-=0.031, RR=1.109, 95% CI=1.009-01.218) and decreased corneal sensation(p=0.001, RR=3.564; 95 % C I=2.014-6.306). Higher Schirmer values (p=0.012, RR=0.935, 95% CI=0.888-0.985) were found to be protective for ocular complications. STASTICS: SPSS ver 10.0 was used for data analysis. The P value of <0.05 was considered as significant.
CONCLUSIONS: the prevalence of complications is high in patients released from treatment for leprosy. Cornea-related complications are the most important cause of visual disability and blindness. Risk factors for ocular complications are higher bacillary index, longer disease duration and decreased corneal sensation.
PY - 2009 SP - 2 EP - 8 T2 - Nepalese journal of ophthalmology : a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal of the Nepal Ophthalmic Society : NEPJOPH TI - Pattern and determinants of ocular complications in leprosy patients in eastern Nepal. VL - 1 SN - 2072-6805 ER -