Patterns of refractive errors in albino patients in pediatric age group.

Objective: To evaluate the patterns of refractive errors in albino patients in pediatric age group and to find out the most common refractive error in these patients. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: Recruited all patients who visited Eye OPD of The Children’s Hospitals and The Institute of Child Healths, Lahore and Multan. Period: July 2021 to December 2021. Material & Methods: Between the ages of 02 to 12 years. The participants presented with oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) were included and the participants with ocular pathologies like congenital cataract, retinopathy of prematurity, buphthalmos etc were excluded. Cycloplegic refraction was done to evaluate the refractive errors and fundoscopy was done to find out ocular pathology. Non-probability convenient technique was used. Chi square test was used for statistical analysis. Results: This study recruited 22 patients with OCA between the ages of 02-12 years (mean age: 6.86 ± 3.385), 13 were male patients and 09 were female patients. 19 patients (86.36 %) had visual acuity (VA) fix and follow the light and 03 (13.64 %) patients were not able to fix and follow the light. Most of the patients have moderate type of refractive error. 06 patients (27.3%) had mild refractive error, 09 patients (40.9%) had moderate and 07 patients (31.8%) had severe refractive error. 13 patients (59.1%) showed astigmatism, 08 patients (36.4%) showed hypermetropia and only 01 patient (4.5%) showed myopia. Nystagmus was present in all 22 patients. Conclusion: This study suggested that astigmatism was the most common refractive error in OCA patients followed by hypermetropia. If refractive errors are not managed timely it will affect their daily life activities and increase the burden on the community.