Ocular Morbidity In Children With Cerebral Palsy

Dr. Sabina Shrestha Bijukachhe
Aparajita Manoranjan

Nepal Eye Hospital, Kathmandu, Nepal

Introduction: Various forms of physical and mental disability in patients with cerebral palsy is the key barrier for the utilization of ocular facilities. Education of children with cerebral palsy relies heavily on visual stimulation. Identification of visual defects in early stage is important. Most common defects are amenable to treatment

Purpose: To study ocular morbidity in patients with cerebral palsy

Methods: A cross- sectional study was conducted at Self Help Group for Cerebral Palsy, Dhapakhel in 2009 with sample size of 38. All the patients underwent orthoptic evaluation, anterior segment evaluation, dilated fundus examination and refraction, both dry and cycloplegic as per the requirement.

Results: Among 38 children, 23 patients had strabismus and 14 had refractive error among which, 6 had refractive error only unassociated with squint. 8 were normal and one had dry eye. Among the patients with strabismus, 8 had associated refractive error.
Simple myopia was present in 4 cases, simple hypermetropia in 3 cases and 7 had astigmatism. Esodeviation was present in 11 cases. Exodeviation was present in 11 cases. One had alternating eso and exo deviation. Among 38, 6 had refractive error only and 8 had associated squint.

Conclusion: Children with cerebral palsy had different ocular co-morbidities which are often neglected. Refractive error, strabismus and amblyopia should be identified and treated as visual morbidity accentuates their disability.