Objective: The primary goal of this study was to determine the effect of visual impairment (VI) on the quality of life (QoL) in children aged 3-7 years. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study involving 138 parents or caregivers of children aged 3-7 years from Pediatric Ophthalmology and General Ophthalmology Clinics of a tertiary government hospital. The Filipino version of the Children’s Visual Function Questionnaire (CVFQ3plus), an instrument that measures the impact of visual impairment on the QoL of children aged 3-7 years and their families, was used. It has 6 subscales: general health, general vision, competence, personality, family impact, and treatment. T-test was used to compare the total index QoL score and subscale scores between children with VI (n=69) and the control group (n=69). The multivariate regression model based on the total index QoL score in children with VI was used to assess the effect of other demographic factors. Results: Children with VI had significantly lower total index QoL score (p=0.02), general vision (p=0.04), competence (p=0.00), and personality (p=0.02) subscale scores than the control group. The visual acuity of children with VI had a significant effect on the total index QoL score (p=0.04). Demographic factors like patient’s age and sex, and parental age, sex and educational attainment had no effect on total index QoL score. Conclusion Visual impairment has a negative effect on the quality of life of Filipino children aged 3-7 years as shown by the use of the CVFQ3plus.
Vision Disorders ; Quality of Life ; Vision, Low

PURPOSE: To identify causes of conditions presenting with low vision without distinct abnormities in pediatric patients and to determine the appropriate diagnostic approach for those conditions. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of pediatric patients with amblyopia, suspicious amblyopia or visual impairment of unknown origin referred by primary care providers. Patients were classified into 2 groups, amblyopia and visual impairment of unclear origin. In this study, we reviewed and analyzed the visual impairment of unclear origin. RESULTS: Of 152 patients, 94 patients were classified as amblyopia and 58 patients were classified as visual impairment of unclear origin. Among those with visual impairment of unclear origin, 26 patients (44.8%) were classified as functional visual loss, 23 patients (39.7%) as normal corrected visual acuity, 8 patients (13.8%) as organic disease and 1 (1.7%) patient could not be classified. Fundus examination revealed abnormal findings in all patients classified as organic disease. Six patients had optic atrophy and 2 had abnormalities on the macula. Ten patients had an orbital magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. Only 1 of 10 MRI scans showed causative abnormality, however, the patient showed an optic atrophy on fundus examination before the MRI scan. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians need to consider a high prevalence of functional visual loss and possibility of occult organic disorders when they evaluate pediatric patients presenting with decreased vision without distinct abnormities. MRI scan is recommended for only selected cases, when optic atrophy is not present.
Amblyopia ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Medical Records ; Optic Atrophy ; Orbit ; Prevalence ; Primary Health Care ; Retrospective Studies ; Vision Disorders ; Vision, Low ; Visual Acuity

The damaging effect o flight on the eye has been recognized for centuries. Solar retinopathy is a well-recognized clinical entity of retinal damage caused by direct or indirect exposure to the sun. Symptoms of solar retinopathy include decreased vision, metamorphopsia, micropsia, and central or paracentral scotoma. Typical solar retinopathy presents clinically as a small yellowish-white foveolar lesion. The authors experienced a case of solar retinopathy which occurred in a 25-year-old female on both eyes upon gazing at the sun for 4 hours.
Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Retinaldehyde ; Scotoma ; Solar System ; Vision Disorders

PURPOSE: To report a case of posterior ischemic optic neuropathy accompanied by carotid artery plaque in a patient with retrobulbar optic neuritis. CASE SUMMARY: A 48-year-old man visited our clinic complaining of headache, decreasing visual acuity and defect of inferior visual field in his left eye for 3 days. The best corrected visual acuity was 1.0 in the right eye and 0.1 in the left eye. The anterior segment state, intraocular pressure, fundus examination and optical coherence tomography were normal in both eyes. Relative afferent pupillary defect, color vision deficiency and total scotoma were observed in his left eye. The results of the laboratory test and brain magnetic resonance imaging were normal. He was discharged from the hospital after 3 days of systemic steroid treatment on the basis of retrobulbar optic neuritis. A week later, fluorescent angiography and carotid ultrasonography were performed because of his history memory loss and left upper limb weakness before admission. A focal filling defect of the peripapillary area was found on fluorescent angiography. A plaque with a thickness of 1.9 mm and a length of 1.4 cm was found on carotid ultrasonography. After 6 months, the best corrected visual acuity was 0.4 in the left eye and the visual field showed a partially improved defect. CONCLUSIONS: Fluorescent angiography is recommended for potential posterior ischemic optic neuropathy in patients with retrobulbar optic neuritis, even though it is rare. Carotid ultrasonography is useful in finding atherosclerosis to prevent stroke or cardiovascular disease if ischemic cause is suspected on fluorescent angiography.
Angiography ; Atherosclerosis ; Brain ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Carotid Arteries* ; Carotid Stenosis* ; Color Vision Defects ; Headache ; Humans ; Intraocular Pressure ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Memory Disorders ; Middle Aged ; Optic Neuritis ; Optic Neuropathy, Ischemic* ; Pupil Disorders ; Scotoma ; Stroke ; Tomography, Optical Coherence ; Ultrasonography ; Upper Extremity ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Fields

Two cases of hysteric amaurosis are reported. The first case is a male, 38 years of age, who had suffered from hysteric amaurosis three times during the last three years. His inability to pay the alimony to his divorced wife is considered as a causative factor. The second case is also a male, 30 years of age. He had once been attacked prior to the admission. The shock and solicitude for his missed parents during the Korean War are possibly the causative factor. Generally visible ocular symptoms in hysterica are not only amblyopia or amaurosis but also night blindness, diplopia, polyopia, metamorphopsia, metachromatopsia and differentiated various changes in visual field are found. In addition, we can easily find out in it, such as derealization, depersonalization, affective loss which are due to the disturbance of cognition, blepharoptosis, blepharospasm, strabismus, ophthalmoplegia, nystagmus, convergence insufficiency, spasm or paresis of accommodation which are resulted from motor function disturbance, headache, sensory paralysis in eye lid, conjunctiva and cornea which are followed by disturbance of perception and excessive lacrimation due to excrete disturbance. It may be needed to differentiate from simulation, malingering, retrobulbar optic neuritis. Treatment is referable to authorized suggestion with active understanding and sympathy.
Amblyopia ; Blepharoptosis ; Blepharospasm ; Blindness* ; Cognition ; Conjunctiva ; Cornea ; Depersonalization ; Diplopia ; Divorce ; Headache ; Humans ; Korean War ; Male ; Malingering ; Night Blindness ; Nystagmus, Pathologic ; Ophthalmoplegia ; Optic Neuritis ; Paralysis ; Parents ; Paresis ; Shock ; Spasm ; Spouses ; Strabismus ; Vision Disorders ; Visual Fields

PURPOSE: We intended to analyze the characteristics of a pediatric low vision population. METHODS: Among 430 patients who visited our low vision clinic from May 1995 to April 2000, 137 patients(31.9%) aged 15 years or less were reviewed to study epidemiologic characteristics, prescribed aids and required magnification. RESULTS: The percentage of pediatric low vision patients was higher than that of developed countries. Male predominance was found. Optic atrophy(41.6%), congenital cataract(12.4%), macular degeneration and dystrophy(9.5%) were the major causes of low vision in this population. The most commonly prescribed low vision aid was a telescope. For near task, light-gathering magnifiers were prescribed most commonly. The visual acuity was improved significantly at near and far distance after correction with low vision aid. The mean required magnification was 3.5 xand this means that a low magnification was sufficient in the majority of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Early rehabilitation and long-range planning for the low vision child are required because of profound effect of childhood visual impairment.
Child ; Developed Countries ; Humans ; Macular Degeneration ; Male ; Optic Atrophy ; Rehabilitation ; Telescopes ; Vision Disorders ; Vision, Low* ; Visual Acuity

The number of low vision patients and the demand for low vision rehabilitation are increasing as the life expectancy and visual impairment due to largely untreatable ocular conditions are.It is therefore, imperative to recognize the importance of low vision aids, which have recently been developed actively.To evaluate the efficacy of low vision aids for low vision rehabilitation, we reviewed the clinical records of 350 patients who had visited our low vision clinic more than twice and had been prescribed with low vision aids. According to the data analysed, optic nerve atrophy, macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa were the leading causes of visual impairment in those patients.The purposes to visit our low vision clinic were to read books, read letters on the black board, identify a person at a distance, etc.Hand-held magnifiers, aspheric doublet lens and telemicroscope with plus cap were commonly used for near vision, while Keplerian and Galilean telescope were popular aids for distant vision.Visual acuity after prescription was improved when it was compared with that before prescription.Majority of the patients benefited from attending low vision clinic.These results suggest that the optical low vision aids were required to rehabilitate the visually impaired patients.
Atrophy ; Humans ; Life Expectancy ; Macular Degeneration ; Optic Nerve ; Prescriptions ; Rehabilitation ; Retinitis Pigmentosa ; Telescopes ; Vision Disorders ; Vision, Low*

Background and Objectives: The study determined the prevalence and causes of childhood blindness and visual impairment (VI) in the hospital and determined the association between risk factors and dimensions affecting eye care utilization and VI severity. Methodology This is a retrospective cross-sectional study which included 318 records of pediatric patients who consulted at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC) in 2018.
Vision Disorders ; Blindness ; Cataract ; Refractive Errors

Pulsatile secretion of GnRH from the hypothalamus is a prerequisite for both the initiation and maintenance of the reproductive axis in humans. Failure of this episodic GnRH secretion results in the clinical syndrome of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism. Deficient GnRH secretion may occur in isolation (idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism: IHH), in association with anosmia (Kallmann syndrome), or as a result of a variety of structural and functional lesions of the hypothalamic pituitary axis. The familial occurrence of hypogonadotropic hypogonadism associated with anosmia, color blindness, synkinesia, and mental defect is the classic Kallmann syndrome. Affected individuals respond readily to pulsatile administration of exogenous GnRH, and clearly this is the most physiologic approach to ovulation induction. For women not seeking pregnancy, replacement therapy with exogenous estrogen and progestin is indicated. We have experienced a case of Kallmann syndrome which was conceived by administration of gonadotropin. So we report this case with a brief review of literatures.
Axis, Cervical Vertebra ; Color Vision Defects ; Estrogens ; Female ; Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone ; Gonadotropins* ; Humans ; Hypogonadism ; Hypothalamus ; Kallmann Syndrome* ; Olfaction Disorders ; Ovulation Induction ; Pregnancy

PURPOSE: To report a case of bilateral optic disc edema associated with hypocalcemia. CASE SUMMARY: A 48-year-old woman visited our ophthalmology department with decreased vision and disturbance of the visual field in the right eye, which began 2 days prior to presentation. The patient history indicated she had undergone total thyroidectomy 3 months prior and was given an oral calcium preparation. She had no eye pain, headache, tinnitus or diplopia. Her best corrected visual acuity of both eyes was 1.0, and color vision was normal in both eyes although a mild relative afferent pupillary defect was present in the right eye. Severe bilateral optic disc edema was present in the right eye. A Humphrey visual field test revealed an enlarged blind spot and peripheral nasal step scotoma in the right eye. The Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) opening pressure was within the normal range and there were no abnormal findings regarding CSF. Additionally, there were no remarkable findings on brain magnetic resonance imaging nor neurologic tests. Her serum calcium was 5.9 mg/dL (normal range: total calcium 8.7-10.6 mg/dL), and an intravenous calcium supplement was started. Visual disturbance and optic disc edema improved 2 days after replacement and the optic disc edema completely dissolved 2 months later. CONCLUSIONS: Hypocalcemia may cause bilateral optic disc edema and can be recovered through adequate calcium supplementation, and it is necessary to prevent and promptly detect this rare complication.
Brain ; Calcium ; Cerebrospinal Fluid ; Color Vision ; Diplopia ; Edema* ; Eye Pain ; Female ; Headache ; Humans ; Hypocalcemia* ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Middle Aged ; Ophthalmology ; Optic Disk ; Optic Nerve Diseases ; Papilledema ; Pupil Disorders ; Reference Values ; Scotoma ; Thyroidectomy ; Tinnitus ; Visual Acuity ; Visual Field Tests ; Visual Fields