One hundred and ten children were evaluated in a prospective study in Lesotho to determine the pattern of pediatric ocular injuries in a developing African country. The pattern was found to be the same as that of developed countries regarding increased incidence in boys, frequency of accidental, self-inflicted and assault injuries, and high incidence of corneal lacerations, traumatic cataracts, hyphemas, and lid lacerations. The pattern differed from developed countries in the absence of injuries due to arrows, airgun pellets (BBs), fireworks, toys and chemical burns, the absence of orbital fractures, intra-ocular metallic foreign bodies, and rarity of retinal detachment, and the generally poor visual results following perforating ocular injuries. An information campaign is advocated in Lesotho to aid in the prevention of pediatric ocular injuries.

The first survey of ocular problems in rural Lesotho was conducted by a visiting eye team and consisted of an examination of 1266 ophthalmic clinic patients at 15 representative sites throughout the country. The most common ocular conditions encountered were: conjunctivitis, refractive error, vernalis, senile cataract, glaucoma, corneal opacities and trauma. This disease pattern differs from most developing African nations for reasons of climate, geography and diet. The absence of disciform macular degeneration, narrow-angle glaucoma, and rarity of retinal detachment was noted. The educational impact of the survey, and its importance for future planning are suggested.

In the VICONEL HIV cohort in Lesotho, 14’242 adults transitioned from efavirenz- or nevirapine- to dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy by October 2021. Viral suppression <50 copies/mL was 84.8%, 93.9%, and 95.4% pre-, 12 months post-, and 24 months post-transition. Sex, age, pre-transition viral load, and treatment backbone correlated with 24-month viremia.

Two hundred and fifty-two adults were evaluated in a prospective study in Lesotho to determine the pattern of ocular injuries in a developing African country. The pattern was found to be similar to that of developed countries regarding increased incidence in young males, high frequency of assault injuries, and high incidence of lacerations to lids, cornea and sclera. The pattern differed from developed countries in the low incidence of perforating ocular injuries associated with occupation, motor vehicles and sports, the absence of orbital fractures, metallic intra-ocular foreign bodies, the low incidence of retinal detachment, and the generally poor visual results following perforating ocular injuries. Additional ophthalmic facilities with improved medical transportation is advocated in Lesotho to improve the visual prognosis in ocular injuries.

A 52 year old man has been advised to see you after having had a prostate specific antigen test. He is worried that he may have prostate cancer, as his 75 year old father died of the disease a year ago. His company offers an annual medical examination, and he had asked for a prostate specific antigen test to be done as well as his other tests. The test result was a concentration of 5.7 ng/ml.