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Objectives: Self-reported vision-related quality of life (VRQOL) allows us to assess the effect of disease and treatments from the patient’s perspective, focusing on an individual’s subjective satisfaction and functional ability. The previous studies mostly focused on the impact of visual function deficits on VRQOL in patients with visual impairment. This study seeks to investigate the influence of sociodemographic characteristics on VRQOL in visually impaired patients. Material and Methods: This prospective cross-sectional study included consecutive adult patients with visual impairment at the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital eye clinic. All patients had presenting visual acuity worse than 6/18 in the better eye. VRQOL was assessed by the validated English version 25-item National Eye Institute Visual Functioning Questionnaire. Sociodemographic characteristics and ocular parameters were recorded. Sociodemographic characteristics were evaluated based on age, sex, area of residence, marital status, religion, educational attainment, and monthly income. Each characteristic was stratified into groups or levels. Analysis of variance, including post hoc analysis was used to evaluate the association between sociodemographic characteristics and VRQOL. Results: A total of 270 patients were enrolled. After adjustments for category and causes of visual impairment, older age (P < 0.001), rural dwellers (P < 0.001), widowhood (P = 0.006), and no formal education (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with low mean visual function (VF) scores. Similarly, older age (P < 0.001), rural dwellers (P < 0.001), widowhood (P = 0.003), and no formal education (P < 0.001) were significantly associated with low mean QOL scores. The difference in the mean score of VF and QOL by religion, sex, and monthly income was not statistically significant. Conclusion: Besides the degree of visual impairment, the interplay of certain social and demographic factors plays a remarkable role in determining the QOL in visually impaired patients. Therefore, an individualized management plan, including psychosocial therapy is imperative in the care of visually impaired patients.

Spontaneous acute-onset proptosis accompanied with inflammatory signs in children is commonly caused by orbital cellulitis/abscess; however, the clinician should always be alert to the possibility of other causes such as neoplastic: Orbital rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS), traumatic, and iatrogenic factors. This is a case report of an 11-year-old boy presenting with an acute-onset non-axial proptosis of the left eye without a history of trauma, sinus disease, or systemic infection. Our clinical differential diagnosis included orbital cellulitis and orbital RMS. However, the final diagnosis was orbital cellulitis with abscess. The purpose of the study was to report a case of “cold” orbital abscess that clinically mimics orbital RMS. An 11-year-old boy presented with a 2 weeks history of painless, rapid-onset non-axial proptosis in the left eye. It was associated with periorbital edema, and mild conjunctival hyperemia. There was no preceding or associated history of fever, trauma, upper respiratory tract infection, sinusitis, or immunosuppression. An initial clinical diagnosis of RMS, with orbital cellulitis as a differential diagnosis, was made delaying commencement of antibiotic therapy. Following the drainage of greenish tinged purulent matter growing Staphylococcus aureus on culture, the diagnosis of orbital cellulitis with abscess was made. A broad-spectrum antibiotics and subsequent adjunct anti-inflammatory therapy yielded excellent clinical resolution. The case demonstrates the pitfalls/challenges in differentiating orbital space occupying lesions manifesting with inflammatory features on the basis of clinical findings alone. This is particularly relevant in a busy triage ophthalmic clinic in a low resource environment without easy access to any form of orbital imaging. In addition, the case highlights that green tinged purulent matter can be found in infections from a myriad of organisms aside from the popularly known Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Introduction: Good ocular health is paramount for optimal childhood development. Vision, which is the primary function of the eyes, plays a fundamental role in the acquisition of skills such as language, interpreting facial expressions and skills requiring hand-eye coordination.In every child, much of knowledge and skills are obtained through the senses of sight and hearing.For children with disabilities, vision has been noted to play an integral role in their psychosocial development, as well as compensates for certain impaired functions.The objective of this study was to determine ocular status of children with disabilities other than visual disabilities attending special schools in Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study on the ocular status of children with disabilities other than visual disabilities attending special education schools in Calabar Municipal Local Government Area, Southern district, Cross River State, Nigeria was performed. Data were obtained using interviewer-administered questionnaires on the caregivers and ocular examination of the children which included visual acuity, refraction, ocular alignment, motility tests and funduscopy. Data analysis was performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 20. Results: A total of 161 children with disabilities (other than visual disabilities) out of the 176 enrolled were examined yielding a 91.5% response rate. The male-to-female ratio was 1.2:1. Their age range was 5-17 years with the mean age of 12.9 ± 3.3 years and a modal age group of ≥13 years. The common types of disability encountered were hearing disability 45 (28%), developmental disability 38 (24%) and multiple disabilities 35 (21.9%). 71% of the children had at least one form of ocular disorder. The most common ocular disorders seen in these children were refractive errors (46.1%) and optic atrophy (12.0%). Of the 161 children examined, only 11 (6.8%) have had ocular evaluation in the past. Conclusion: Ocular disorders are common in children with other disabilities. However, only a few are opportune to have ophthalmic evaluation. Therefore, strategies regarding increasing awareness, mandatory ocular examination and early detection as well as treatment of the ocular disorders are urgently needed.

Aim: To determine the vision-related quality of life (VRQOL) and associated factors among adult patients with visual impairment. Study Design: It was a cross-sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of Ophthalmology, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, between August 2015 and March 2016. Methodology: We consecutively recruited 270 patients aged 18 to 90 years with visual impairment. Presenting visual acuity was assessed to determine the degree of visual impairment, anterior segment and posterior segment examinations as well as refraction were done to establish clinical diagnosis, and an interviewer National Eye Institute’s 25-itemVisual Functioning Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25) was administered to estimate the vision-related quality of life (VRQOL). Data was entered into and analyzed with SPSS for Windows version 20. Descriptive statistics such as frequency, mean, standard deviation, and range with 95% confidence interval were calculated and the Chi square (χ2) test for categorical variables and the Student’s t-test for continuous variables were used for test of significance, p value <0.05. ANOVA test, including Post-hoc analysis were used to determine associations between categorical and numerical variables at p value <0.05. Results: A total of 270 study subjects participated in the study. The study participants included 152(56.3%) males and 118(43.7%) females, with Mean age ± SD was 51.07±16.91 years.  Based on the intra study categorization of VRQOL among the study participants, most (85.6%) had good VRQOL. However, the overall mean VRQOL score was remarkably low 41.23±22.87. The proportion of poor VRQOL was 39 (14.4%). The poor VRQOL was significantly associated with blindness 11.60±19.10 (p < 0.001). Age ≥80 years [44.0(95% CI: 27.4-60.7)], rural residents [64.9(95% CI: 58.7-71.1)], no formal education [48.5(95% CI: 33.5-63.5)] and widowhood [48.0(95% CI: 32.4-60.7)] had statistically significant association with low mean VRQOL scores. Conclusion: Above three-fourth of the participants had good VRQOL, with reference to the categorization of in this study. However, the overall mean VRQOL score was remarkably low. Blindness, older age, rural residency, illiteracy, widowhood, agricultural workers and Ibo ethnicity had a statistically significant association with low vision-related quality of life.

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to describe the barriers to the utilization of eye care services in a rural community in South-South Nigeria. Material and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study using a multistage sampling technique was conducted. The main outcome measure was self-reported previous consultation of the eye clinic at the community’s Comprehensive Health Centre (CHC) for eye care. Results: The study sample included 200 participants. Only 40 (24.1%) respondents had previously consulted at the eye clinic at the CHC in search of eye care. The principal barriers to eye care services utilization were “Ignorance of the existence 53 (47.3%) and schedule” 37 (33.0%) of the eye clinic at the CHC, and “No felt need” 26 (23.2%). Conclusion: Despite the high prevalence of ocular disorders among the study participants, the utilization of available eye care services was markedly low. The common barriers cited were “Ignorance of the existence and schedule of the eye facility in the community. Improved strategies to improve uptake of services is required.”

Corneal thermal burn from domestic electric clothes pressing iron is a very rare occurrence among teenagers in Nigeria. We report the case of thermal burn to the ocular surface of a 16-year-old female, at home, from the sole plate of an electric clothes pressing iron. She presented with superficial eyelids and corneal burns (Roper-Hall Classification Grade II; Dua Classification Grade II). The patient was successfully managed with topical cyclopentolate 2%, topical moxifloxacin 0.5%, and tetracycline ointment. Well-documented causative agents of domestic eye injuries in the young in Nigeria are usually flying missiles. Thermal ocular injuries are quite uncommon, and when they occur, are likely due to steam burns. This report highlights the electric clothes pressing iron as a domestic hazard that caregivers must be mindful of.