S. Bayu et W. Alemayehu, PATTERN OF NEUROOPHTHALMIC DISORDERS IN A TERTIARY EYE CARE CENTER INADDIS-ABABA, Ethiopian medical journal, 35(1), 1997, pp. 43-51
A neuro-ophthalmic subspeciality clinic was establishes in Ethiopia fo
r the first time in September 1993. A total of 700 patients attended t
his clinic over a period of two years. Optic nerve lesions (22%), herp
es tester ophthalmicus (18%), ocular motor palsies (17%), facial palsy
(10%) and papilloedema (7%) were the leading neuro-ophthalmic disorde
rs observed. Myasthenia gravis and muscular dystrophies were not rare
diseases as well. HIV infection manifested in a variety of neuro-ophth
almic disorders. In a significant number of the patients, precise diag
noses could not be made due to lack of diagnostic facilities. Most pat
ients presented in advanced and irreversible state. Increased awarenes
s on the part of patients as well as health care providers is thus of
paramount importance in order to avert unnecessary death and blindness
, also is underlined the need for improved diagnostic facilities like
magnetic resonance imaging and computerized tomography.