Posters

Corneal xerosis: an exceptional complication of trachoma – a case report

Poster Details

First Author: R.Aymane MOROCCO

Co Author(s): F. Boudguigue   Y. Boubnan   K. Madbouhi   A. El Bouaychi   W. Cherkaoui        

Abstract Details

Purpose:

Trachoma is the leading infectious cause of blindness and visual impairment in the world. It is a keratoconjunctivitis caused by ocular infection with Chlamydia trachomatis. Repeated episodes lead to scarring of the upper tarsal conjunctiva and trichiasis, which abrade the cornea, scarring it and cause blindness. In November 2016, the World Health Organization officially declared the elimination of trachoma in Morocco.The purpose of our work is to highlight the importance of early diagnosis and treatment of trachoma, as well as the importance of hygienic and therapeutic measures in the prevention and eradication of trachoma.

Setting:

Department A of ophtalmology, Hopital des spécialités, Mohamed V University, Faculty of medicine, Rabat, Morocco

Methods:

We report the medical observation of a 75-year-old lady, having as antecedent a notion of red eye repetition during her young age, having resulted in a progressive decrease in visual acuity, currently at the blind stage. We carried out a careful medical questioning, a complete clinical examination (study of the kinetics and the palpebral statics, of the corneal sensibility)

Results:

Clinical examination revealed visual acuity at positive light perception in both eyes, palpebral trichiasis, symblepharon, and bilateral blepharophimosis. The cornea, like the conjunctiva, is covered with an epidermis, realizing the clinical picture of “the eye of status”.

Conclusions:

Increasing people’s standard of living and making necessary environmental improvements are the definitive interventions for active trachoma, attested to by the fact that trachoma has been eliminated from all developed cities in the world. The Evidence supports the effectiveness of the SAFE srategy approach, and if current world efforts continue, blinding trachoma will indeed be eliminated by 2020.

Financial Disclosure:

None