Past Issues - Vol. 10 , No. 1, Jan - June 2014

Al-Shifa Journal of Ophthalmology

Edtorial: Low vision in children
Saemah Nuzhat Zafar MCPS FCPS FRCS (Glasg)

Comparison of biometry formulas and their relationship with axial lengths
Abdul Hannan MBBS, Maha Amjad, Umar Ikram

Total of 34 patients were chosen and 4 major biometry formulas (SRK/T, SRK-2, Holladay, and Hoffer-Q) were subjected to comparison with each other and their correlation to axial length. These patients were followed up over a period of 1-1.5 month post-operatively and their spherical errors noted. Results showed a statistically significant importance of choice of different formulas (p-value 0.028) while no significant difference in performance of these formulas over same group of axial lengths.

Visual improvement in children with low vision using low vision devices
Syeda Nisma Sehar BSc Optometry, Sorath Noorani Siddiqui FCPS Clinical Fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Sumaira Altaf FCPS, Ume Habiba BSc Optometry

This observational study was conducted to observe the effect of low vision devices (LVDs) on distance visual acuity of children with low vision. All children fulfilling WHO criteria for low vision were provided with 2.5 X vista view, 4x telescopes and magnifying glasses for improving far vision. The study states that 4x telescope is the most effective device to improve distant visual acuity in children with low vision.

Barriers to low vision services and challenges faced by the providers
Momina Javed BSc Optometry, Tayyab Afghani MS, Kunza Zafar

The study was aimed to identify the barriers as perceived by patients and providers to access the low vision services and to identify the challenges faced by the main providers. Interviews based on structured questionnaire were conducted for patients and low vision service providers. The major barrier to low vision services according to the patients was inability to visit hospital alone while according to providers it was the need for repeated follow up which proves major barrier towards uptake of services.

Most common clinical features of Age Related Macular Degeneration in Pakistan
Mustafa Abdul Hameed Ismail FCPS, Nadeem Qureshi FCPS

This study documents the clinical features of ARDM in 209 eyes of 106 patients at Al-Shifa Trust Eye Hospital, Rawalpindi among which 18 were having age related maculopathy, 80 had atrophic type of ARMD and 111 were having exudative ARMD. Macular drusen were the most common feature of maculopathy. Eyes with wet ARMD were having choroidal neo-vascular membrane (CNV) in 86% of cases and pigment epithelial detachment (PED) in rest of the 14%.

Comparison of Ciprofloxacin 0.3% and Moxifloxacin 0.5% eye drops in bacterial corneal ulcers
Nadia Akhtar FCPS, Ayesha Kausar MCPS, FCPS

This prospective randomized trial compared the effect of Ciprofloxacin 0.3% and Moxifloxacin 0.5% eye drops in bacterial corneal ulcers. The outcome measured were size of epithelial defect, size of infiltrate and reaction in anterior chamber on day 1, 2 and 3 and week 1, 2 and 3 after the initiation of treatment. There were significant differences in terms of size of infiltrate (p value 0.030) and reaction in anterior chamber (p value 0.002) between the two study groups while a non-significant difference was observed in size of epithelial defect between the two groups (p value 0.158 after 2 weeks).

Comparison of Timolol alone with fixed combination of Latanoprost/ Timolol to control intra-ocular pressure in Primary Open Angle Glaucoma
Ch. Javed Iqbal MCPS FCPS,  Sarfraz Latif FCPS, M. Sohail Arshad

The study compared the effectiveness of Timolol only (group - I) and fixed combination Latanoprost-Timolol (group - II) in lowering intraocular pressure in patients with primary open angle glaucoma. At the end of study, mean reduction of IOP from baseline in Group-I  was 6.7 mm of Hg (27.57%) and  in Group-II  was 7.9 mm of Hg (32.24%). The effectiveness i.e. reduction of intraocular pressure by 30% from baseline was noted among 32.5% patients in Group-I and 70% patients in Group-II.

A case with bilateral Optic Disc Drusen causing Non Arteritic Ischemic Optic Neuropathy
Arif  Pathan FCPS (Bangladesh),Sarah Zafar FRCS MRCOpth FCPS, Naveed Qureshi FCPS, FCPS(VR), Nadeem  Qureshi FCPS

A 60 years old male presented with hypermature cataract in Right eye. Left eye showed impaired color vision with RAPD, disc swelling and some peripapillary hemorrhages. Right eye after cataract surgery showed disc swelling with suspicion of optic disc drusen. On the basis of B scan and clinical features bilateral optic disc drusen with left eye NAION was diagnosed.