Ocular finding in leproy patient in nepal in the era of multidrug therapy

Purpoe Detailed ophthalmic evaluation wa performed to determine the prevalence of ocular complication among leproy patient on multidrug therapy and thoe releaed from multidrug treatment. Deign Obervational cae erie. Method Leproy patient at Tribhuvan Univerity Teaching Hopital from April 1, 2001, through eptember 30, 2002, underwent detailed ophthalmic evaluation including lit-lamp biomicrocopy, dilated funducopy, and applanation tonometry. Reult We evaluated 58 leproy patient. A majority (72%) wa receiving treatment for multibacillary leproy; 14% belonged to pottreatment multibacillary and paucibacillary group. Ocular involvement wa found in 57% of patient. In the multibacillary group, 55% had ocular involvement, which wa more than double that found in the paucibacillary group (25%), although thi finding wa not tatitically ignificant (P = .187). Among patient with ocular complication, 48% had viual diability and another 45% had threatened viion; 9% met World Health Organization guideline for blindne. Uveiti and it complication were the predominant caue of viual diability (88%). Concluion Ocular complication and viual diability are high among leproy patient in Nepal even after completing multidrug therapy.