Six hundred and fifty standard one school children in 3 Petaling Jaya schools were examined. 7.1 percent were found to have significant refractive errors and fourteen cases of squints were detected giving a prevalence of 2.2 percent. The majority of squints were of the divergent type. The prevalence and different patterns among the Malaysian and Caucasian populations are discussed.
A retrospective study of intraocular foreign bodies treated at the University Hospital over 10 years from 1970 - 1979 was carried out. Of the 48 cases reviewed, nine were anterior chamber foreign bodies while the rest were posterior segment foreign bodies. The anterior chamber foreign bodies had better visual prognosis as compared to the posterior segment foreign bodies. Most of the patients were young Chinese males and most of the injuries were due to accidents at work involving the 'hand hammer' (includes other implements used as a hammer).
One hundred and forty-five diabetic patients attending diabetic clinic over a four week period were fully examined in an adjacent eye clinic. The fundi were examined with a Halogen light direct ophthalmoscope and the Binocular Indirect Ophthalmoscope after mydriasis to assess the presence of retinopathy. 44.1 percent of patients examined had Opbthalmoscopicaliy detectable retinopathy while 11 percent were found to have 'serious diabetic eye disease'. The prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in Malaysia is comparable to those of Western countries and Japan.
Study site: Diabetic clinic, University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia