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MEACO E-Newsletter
This electronic newsletter serves as a monthly update on the developments in the field of ophthalmology, issues related to prevention of blindness and new trends in clinical studies in the Middle East and Africa.
MEACO Head Office: P.O.Box 7947, Riyadh 11472, Saudi Arabia
Tel: +966 1 466 1085 - Fax: +966 1 466 1049 - info@meaco.org
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WOC2012 Updates |
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WOC2012 releases latest newsletter
Abu Dabi, UAE, 16 - 20 February 2012
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Meeting Updates |
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XXI Annual Congress of the Iranian Society of Ophthalmology
Tehran, Iran, 14-17 November 2011
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The Iranian Society of Ophthalmology is holding its XXI annual congress from 14
- 17 November 2011 at the Razi Convention Center in Tehran, Iran. For more information, please visit the congress website at
http://irsocongress.org/ or send an email to
info@irsocongress.org
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News |
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MEACO organizes Pediatric and Refractive Surgery Subspecialty Courses in Nigeria
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MEACO will be organizing basic and advanced courses on pediatric ophthalmology and another basic course on
refractive surgery during the 36th annual meeting of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN). The meeting is scheduled from 7
- 11 September 2011 at the Oriental Hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria.
For more details about the meeting, please send an email to
Mr. Leke Sanya
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Scientific Articles |
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A retrieval system for patients with avoidable blindness due to diabetic retinopathy who do not present for ophthalmic assessment in Oman |
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Background: Many patients with diabetes do not present for eye examinations, foregoing the recommended management for diabetic eye care. Proactive steps are being taken in Oman to retrieve defaulters (patients who do not present or "no-show") with Sight Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy (STDR). We present the outcomes of the defaulter retrieval system in five regions of Oman in 2009.
Materials and Methods: Ophthalmologists examine eyes periodically, family physicians focus on primary prevention of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and medical retina specialists manage DR in Oman. A person with proliferative stage of DR (PDR) and/or Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) in either eye is considered as STDR and is registered at regional hospitals. The eye care staff identify the defaulters and the hospital staff help them retrieve the defaulters. The reminder of reappointment is sent using the text messages on telephone. The glycemic control of STDR cases was also noted in Nizwa Hospital.
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Results: We registered 654 STDR cases, of which 494 (75%) were defaulters. Lack of awareness, transport, absence of a decision maker, and fear of laser treatment were the main causes for defaulting. We successfully retrieved 328 (66.4%) defaulters. The retrieval rates among male and female patients were 51.2% and 82%, respectively. The retrieval varied by region. In Nizwa hospital, 114 of 131 STDR cases (85%) had poor glycemic control.
Conclusions: Defaulter retrieval system could help healthcare providers to identify and motivate patients with STDR towards better compliance. Primary prevention measures among STDR cases were poor and need further focus.
Rajiv Khandekar, Jawad Al Lawati, Nabil Barakat
Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol 2011; Volume: 18, Issue 2, Page: 93-97
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Challenges of trachoma control: An assessment of the situation in Northern Nigeria
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Over the last three decades, a lot has been achieved in the control of trachoma worldwide. New assessment techniques, effective evidence-based control strategy with new methods and drugs, and an aggressive global partnership for the control of the disease have evolved. As such the number of people with the disease and blindness due to the disease had drastically reduced. Trachoma is now only responsible for about 4% of blindness worldwide down from 12% some few decades ago. Some countries are on the verge of eliminating the disease as a public health problem. Despite these achievements numerous challenges remain for achieving trachoma control in endemic communities. This article highlights the challenges faced in one of the known trachoma endemic areas - northern Nigeria. Aspects on the dearth of complete situational data on trachoma, fragmented implementation of the SAFE strategy, community apathy, difficulties faced in ensuring safe, and quality lid surgery in the most difficult terrain where the disease thrives are discussed here. Other unique challenges like managing children with severe trichiasis, curbing the high rate of early-onset recurrence of trichiasis after lid rotation surgery and challenges to maintain supply of antibiotics and implementation of facial cleanliness and environmental improvement components of the control strategy are presented along with the learnt experiences and recommendations. These challenges and their remedies are likely to be shared by other trachoma endemic areas in Africa.
Mansur M Rabiu, Nasiru Muhammed, Sunday Isiyaku
Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol 2011; Volume: 18, Issue 2, Page: 115-121
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Herpes zoster ophthalmicus: Disease spectrum in young adults
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Purpose: To establish the clinical profile of herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) in adults younger than 40 years and correlate the clinical manifestation with their immune status.
Materials and Methods: A retrospective chart review was performed of patients younger than 40 years who presented with HZO. Data were collected on demographics, medical history, clinical presentation, results of serological investigations, and visual outcome.
Results: The study cohort comprised 18 subjects with a mean age of 29.7 6.2 years. Ophthalmic features included lid edema, ptosis, cicatricial lid deformities, sclerokeratitis, peripheral ulcerative keratitis, neuroparalytic keratitis, keratouveitis with concomitant glaucoma, secondary bacterial keratitis and superficial punctate keratitis with dry eye, optic neuritis, and trochlear nerve palsy. Eight of 18 (44.4%) subjects were found to be positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Disseminated herpetic lesions were seen present in 5 (63%) of these 8 subjects. Postherpetic neuralgia was noted in 6 (75%) of 8 HIV-positive subjects and in 1 HIV-negative patient. Final visual acuity was 20/40 or better in 90% of the immunocompetent subjects and 20/200 or worse in 100% of the HIV-positive subjects.
Conclusions: Immunocompetent young adults do present with features of HZO. However, the disease spectrum in HIV-negative patients is localized, less severe, and more amenable to therapy as compared with young adults with HIV
Noopur Gupta, Ritika Sachdev, Rajesh Sinha, Jeewan S Titiyal, Radhika Tandon
Middle East Afr J Ophthalmol 2011; Volume: 18, Issue 2, Page: 178-182
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