The profile of eye disease in palestine: An 8-year experience at St. John Eye Hospital, Hebron

Objectives: We aimed to profile the spectrum of eye conditions and document the change in cases presenting at St John Eye Tertiary Hospital, Hebron, Palestine. Patients and Methods: Charts of all new patients who presented to St. John Eye Hospital, Hebron, Palestine, between 2006 and 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. Age at presentation, sex, and clinical diagnosis were extracted from medical records. Data were stored and analyzed. Results: The records of 33,183 patients were included in the study. Female:male ratio was 1:1. Patients aged 10–19 years were the largest group (18%–24%). Refractive errors were the most common disorders seen (22%–32%). This was followed by followed by conjunctival diseases (20%–24%) and cataract (8%–13%). Diabetic patients represented 7% of the total. Proliferative and nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy increased over the study period. Refractive errors and cataract were more frequent in females than males, while ocular trauma was more prominent in males than females. Conclusions: The most common cause of ocular morbidity in this study was refractive errors. Most of the morbidities seen in this study were either treatable or preventable. Programs that raise the capacity of health providers and screening programs should be conducted regularly and preferably in partnership with all health service providers.

Key-words:

Cataract - conjunctivitis - diabetic retinopathy - Palestine - refractive errors

Publikationsverlauf

Artikel online veröffentlicht:
07. Juli 2022