The presentation, patterns, and outcomes of corneal injuries in children seen in Lighthouse for Christ Eye Centre, Mombasa

Abstract

Introduction: Corneal injuries constitute a significant cause of corneal blindness, impacting vision significantly, with approximately 1.5 to 2 million new cases of monocular blindness. Children’s quality of life and Disability Adjusted Life Years may be impacted by ocular trauma, which is a significant and leading cause of acquired and preventable monocular blindness, particularly in developing nations.

Study objectives: The study aimed to determine the patterns and outcomes of corneal injuries in children seen in Lighthouse for Christ Eye Centre, Mombasa between January 2018 and December 2022.

Methods: A hospital-based retrospective case series study design was carried out and 90 medical records of all children up to 18 years of age with corneal injuries were included. A structured questionnaire was used to retrieve information from the medical records. It encompassed the clinical presentation, patterns, outcomes and complications of corneal injuries. Data was coded and entered in SPSS version 26 for analysis. Descriptive statistics such as tables, charts and frequencies were used to summarize the retrieved information. 

Results: The male-to-female ratio was 2:1.2 and the 5-10 years age group sustained most injuries with a mean age of 6.7 years and a median age of 6 years. The time-to-presentation was 2-7 days. Corneal lacerations were the most common pattern of corneal injuries mostly caused by sticks. Associated ocular injuries included cataracts and hyphema. Uncorrected visual acuity of 6/12 or better was attained by 12.2% at 1 month and 7.8% at 3 months. About 1/3 of the patients were blind in the injured eye at 3 months post- injury, according to the Distance Visual Impairment grading (ICD 11). Corneal scars were the most common complication of corneal injuries.

Conclusions: Corneal injuries in children occurred mostly during playtime due to the curious nature of play and unsupervised play among older children. Males sustained more injuries attributed to their carefree and aggressive nature of play. Corneal lacerations were the most common injury.