Ocular leprosy in Africa

G.K. Kagame

Social Science & Medicine, 1983, vol. 17, issue 22, 1737-1742

Abstract: A clinical examination of 199 leprosy patients in Kenya showed that 62.5% had abnormal ocular findings, 51.2% of which were leprosy related. The potentially blinding lesions were uveitis, keratitis and lagophthalmos and these were found in 22.1% of the patients. 6 Patients (3%) had a visual acuity of less than 3/60 in the better eye and were classified blind. In all, there were 31 blind eyes of which only 12 had leprosy related causes. 10 of these (83%) belonged to lepromatous patients and 2 (17%) to tuberculoid patients. All the 10 eyes of the lepromatous patients were blind due to uveitis. It was shown that lepromatous leprosy patients are at a greater risk of leprosy related blindness especially from uveitis. The socio-psychological and economic implications of leprosy are discussed. Practical recommendations for the primary eye care of the leprosy patient are suggested.

Date: 1983
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