What is it about?
This study was a retrospective analysis of 43 patients (15 girls and 28 boys) with Downs Syndrome (DS), mean age was 9 years 7 months (ranging from 2 weeks to 20 years). We documented the nature and types of ocular examinations performed and of ocular pathologies identified in patients with DS.
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Why is it important?
12/43 (28%) did not have any ophthalmology review. Mean age at referral to the ophthalmologist for the remaining 31 patients was 3yrs 5 months. The frequency of ophthalmology review varied between 2 months and over 6 years (mean of 2 years). The highest rate of compliance with the DSMIG recommendations was the newborn examination (88%). The rate of compliance at other age categories ranged between 37% and 53%. The commonest ocular abnormalities were Hyperopia 21 (64%), Astigmatism 12 (36%) and Strabismus or Exotropia 8 (24%) and Myopia 6 (18%).
Perspectives
This study confirms that ocular abnormalities are common in patients with Down Syndrome. A multi-disciplinary local clinical protocol should be agreed to improve compliance rate of the local ophthalmic surveillance in line with the national DSMIG recommendations.
Dr Michael O Ogundele
Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Postgraduate Medical Centre
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Ophthalmology review of patients with down syndrome: audit of local experience in a district hospital, Archives of Disease in Childhood, May 2012, BMJ,
DOI: 10.1136/archdischild-2012-301885.166.
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