Ophthalmology Research: An International Journal

Glaucoma in Kilimanjaro: A Hospital-Based Retrospective Cross-Sectional Study

2026-09-05T14:40:55+00:00

Aim: The study aims to determine the magnitude of glaucoma at KCMC and assess the efficacy of treatment.

Study Design: This was a hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in the Eye Department of Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Moshi, Tanzania, and data collection and analysis were performed between 04 September 2013 and 04 September 2014.

Methodology: This was a hospital-based retrospective cross-sectional study conducted at the Eye Department of Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre in Moshi, Tanzania, and included all patients coded as glaucomatous who attended in 2012. It was descriptive and observational, with the main outcome measures being Snellen visual acuity, intraocular pressure in mmHg, optic disc excavation, and visual field score in decibels. Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 16.1 was employed.

Results: There were 847 glaucomatous patients with a mean age of 61.38 years (SD 21.42); 518 were male and 329 were female. Primary open-angle glaucoma was the most common type, accounting for 85.4%. Mean intraocular pressure at diagnosis was 27.45 mmHg in the right eyes and decreased to 19.36 mmHg over a mean follow-up period of 3.86 years. There was an 11.11 mmHg reduction in intraocular pressure in the trabeculectomy group compared with a 6.35 mmHg reduction in the Timolol-eye-drops-only group. Cupping progressed in both eyes, but this was not found to be statistically significant. At diagnosis, 15.1% of the patients were blind according to the WHO classification; this proportion increased to 16.1% at the last visit. Some 55 patients progressed to visual impairment when visual acuity in the better eye was considered, while 36 eyes showed improved vision when visual acuity in the worst affected eye was considered.

Conclusions: Patients presented late at diagnosis; however, there was a good response to treatment, with a reasonable reduction in intraocular pressure and no rapid progression of visual impairment, suggesting that the therapeutic approach at KCMC was efficacious.

Incidence, Clinical Features and Risk Factors for Cystoid Macular Edema after Cataract Surgery

2026-09-29T11:30:12+00:00

Background: Pseudophakic cystoid macular oedema (PCME) is an important postoperative finding after cataract surgery and may affect visual recovery.

Aim: To assess the incidence, clinical characteristics, and risk factors of pseudophakic cystoid macular edema (PCME) in patients undergoing cataract surgery at a medical college hospital over a period of seventeen months.

Study design: Prospective observational study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Ophthalmology, Malla Reddy Medical College for Women, Hyderabad, Telangana, India, from September 2022 to January 2024.

Methodology: A total of 510 patients who underwent uncomplicated cataract surgery were included in the study. Demographic data, comorbidities, central subfield thickness (CST), visual acuity, and intraocular pressure (IOP) were collected preoperatively and at 2 and 4 weeks postoperatively.

Results: Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS version 26. Nineteen patients (3.7%) of those evaluated at four weeks had cystoid macular edema, confirmed by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Among the 19 CME cases, 8 (42.1%) occurred in patients aged 60–69 years. CME was more frequent among males (68.4%) than females (31.6%). However, CME was not significantly associated with the presence of risk factors such as DM, hypertension (HTN), or coronary artery disease (CAD) (p = 0.803; p > 0.05). Post-cataract surgery findings, including IOL placement in the sulcus (p = 0.002), pigment dispersion on the IOL (p = 0.006), PC opacification (p = 0.010), and a dull foveal reflex (p < 0.001), were associated with CME. Age was not significantly associated with CME (p = 0.823). CME occurred in 14 of 313 patients (4.5%) after SICS and in 5 of 197 patients (2.5%) after phacoemulsification; based on the reported counts, this difference was not statistically significant (Pearson chi-square p = 0.261).

Conclusion: PCME occurred in 3.7% of patients at four weeks; age and the combined DM/HTN/CAD risk-factor category were not significantly associated with CME.

Concurrent Otorhinolaryngologic and Ophthalmologic Abnormalities in Adults Living with HIV: A Cross-Sectional Study from a Tertiary Hospital in South-East Nigeria

2026-10-17T05:10:34+00:00

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection is a multisystem disorder that may affect the ear, nose and throat (ENT) region and the ocular system. Although ENT and ophthalmologic manifestations have been extensively studied separately, there is limited information on the burden of concurrent disease involving both systems among people living with HIV, particularly in South East Nigeria.

Objective: To determine the prevalence, pattern and predictors of dual ENT and ophthalmologic diseases among HIV-positive adults attending the ART clinic at Enugu State University of science and technology Teaching Hospital (ESUTH) Parklane, Enugu State, South East Nigeria.

Method: This was a hospital-based cross-sectional study involving 139 consenting HIV-positive adults attending the ESUTH Parklane ART clinic between January and December 2024. Participants were assessed for ENT and ophthalmologic symptoms and abnormalities. ENT assessment included otoscopy, nasal examination/endoscopy, oral examination and hearing assessment, while ophthalmologic assessment included anterior-segment, posterior-segment and tear-film evaluation. Data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 27. Associations were assessed using the chi-square test, independent-samples t-test and Mann–Whitney U test as appropriate. Binary logistic regression was performed to identify independent predictors of dual disease. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

Results: The mean age of the participants was 45.16 ± 12.27 years, and 96 (69.1%) were female. Fifty participants (36.0%) had concurrent ENT and ophthalmologic disease. Common ENT symptoms included ear pain (21.6%), ear discharge (15.1%) and sore throat (13.7%), while common ophthalmic symptoms were blurred vision (38.1%), excessive tearing (36.7%) and eye pain (23.0%). Objective examinations identified hearing impairment in 38 (27.3%), abnormal otoscopy in 36 (25.9%) and oral lesions in 29 (20.9%). Ocular examination identified tear-film abnormalities in 62 (44.6%) and posterior-segment abnormalities in 47 (33.8%). No significant association was found between dual disease and age, sex, duration of HIV infection, ART status, CD4 count, viral load or WHO clinical stage. Logistic regression identified no independent predictor of dual disease.

Conclusion: Concurrent ENT and ophthalmologic abnormalities were present in more than one-third of HIV-positive adults in this study. The higher frequency of several objective abnormalities than reported symptoms indicates that clinically important disease may be under-recognised when assessment relies on symptoms alone. Integrated ENT and ophthalmologic awareness should therefore be considered within comprehensive HIV care.

A Case Report on Capillary Hemangioma

2026-09-05T10:07:56+00:00

Background: Capillary haemangioma is a benign vascular tumour characterised by proliferation of capillary-sized blood vessels and is most commonly encountered during infancy and early childhood. Presentation involving the eyelid during adolescence is uncommon and may create diagnostic difficulty because it can resemble other vascular or neoplastic lesions.

Case Presentation: A 14-year-old male presented with a progressively enlarging swelling of the left upper eyelid for 2 months. Examination showed a solitary, reddish, sessile growth measuring approximately 3 cm × 3 cm. The lesion was firm, rubbery, non-compressible, non-pulsatile, and increased in size during the Valsalva manoeuvre. No associated ocular abnormality, regional lymphadenopathy, or other vascular lesion was identified. Surgical excision was performed. Intraoperatively, the lesion had an indistinct capsule, and increased bleeding was encountered during dissection. Histopathological examination demonstrated a benign vascular neoplasm composed of lobular proliferation of capillary-sized vascular channels separated by fibrocollagenous connective tissue. The capillaries were lined by round-to-oval endothelial cells with bland nuclear morphology, without nuclear atypia, pleomorphism, or mitotic activity. These findings confirmed capillary haemangioma. The postoperative course was uneventful, and no recurrence was observed during follow-up.

Conclusion: Capillary haemangioma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of progressive eyelid masses even beyond the typical infantile age group. Histopathological examination is important for definitive diagnosis, and complete excision can provide effective management for a localised lesion.