Editorial Comments: Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology, May-August 2023

Abstract

This issue of the Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology contains two original articles, three case reports, and one letter to the editor. These interesting articles relate to different aspects of the practice of ophthalmology and would be of relevance to both general ophthalmologists and subspecialists. Ani et al., in their study on time trade-off vision utilities, highlight the close association between quality of life and visual impairment. They studied 299 glaucoma patients and reported a mean time trade-off score of 0.84. This score indicates that, on average, the participants were willing to trade 16% of the rest of their lives for normal permanent vision. They also found that the best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in the better eye was negatively correlated with the time trade-off utility and that BCVA was the only predictive factor of lower time trade-off utility. These findings have implications for patient counseling and cost-utility analysis in the management of glaucoma patients.[1] The challenges of preventing and managing corneal blindness are brought to the fore in the article by Adepoju et al. They report the demographic and clinical profile of patients presenting with corneal ulcers at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital in North Central Nigeria. Their findings demonstrate the importance of efforts to reduce the occurrence of ocular trauma and the use of harmful traditional medications. In addition, the authors allude to the issue of underutilization of microbiological investigations, an extant problem in Nigerian hospitals[2] that requires further research. In their case report, Nkanga et al. discuss the challenges in the management of a female neonate with bilateral congenital anophthalmia. The child had associated hydrocephalus and was born to a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected mother who abandoned her soon after admission. Multiple factors including poverty and social stigma are suggested by the authors as possible reasons for the mother’s action. Nevertheless, the report emphasizes the vital role of antenatal anomaly scans in the detection of congenital abnormalities as well as counseling and social intervention strategies to prevent child abandonment.[3] Singh and Saraswat report a rare case of orbital compartment syndrome that occurred in association with viral hemorrhagic fever in an Indian man. The patient was confirmed to have dengue fever on the basis of laboratory test results and underwent lateral canthotomy for orbital decompression. Their report draws attention to the fact that ophthalmologists as well as emergency physicians should be aware of the possibility that orbital compartment syndrome may occur in other viral hemorrhagic fevers such as yellow fever, Lassa fever, and Ebola, which are also found in tropical regions.[4] The uncommon association of lamellar macula hole with syndromic retinitis pigmentosa is the focus of the case report by Babalola. The report sheds some light on the clinical types of Usher syndrome and buttresses the need for an improvement in Nigeria’s health infrastructure that would engender better access to genetic testing services in Nigeria.[5] Similarly, Abubakar et al. refer to the challenges of the poor health system in Nigeria in their call for a focused and organized social media campaign to improve public awareness about glaucoma and the need for early diagnosis. Our readers are encouraged to explore these articles in this latest edition of the Nigerian Journal of Ophthalmology, while we thank the contributing authors, the reviewers, and our dedicated editorial staff.