Abstract
Purpose: :
Medical subspecialty needs vary geographically. Recognition of such contrasts is essential to planning educational programs abroad. In this study we assessed and compared the etiologies of a common oculoplastic disease, blepharoptosis, between tertiary referral centers in India and the United States.
Methods: :
Twenty-one consecutive patients (11 males, 10 females, mean age 13 years of age, ranging from 1 to 75) referred for management of blepharoptosis to an ORBIS supported tertiary care center in India (Lions NAB Eye Hospital in rural Maharashtra province) during the month of October 2008 were retrospectively assessed for disease etiology. For comparison, during a similar time period, 21 consecutive patients (11 males, 10 females, mean age 55 years of age, ranging from 5 to 87) referred for the management of blepharoptosis to the UCSF department of ophthalmology were assessed.
Results: :
In India, etiologies were as follows: isolated congenital blepharoptosis (n=12), Marcus Gunn jaw-winking syndrome (n=5), third nerve palsy (n=1), myasthenia gravis (n=1), plexiform neurofibroma of the eyelid (n=1), traumatic (n=1). In San Francisco, etiologies were as follows: isolated congenital blepharoptosis (n=3), levator dehiscence post-intraocular surgery (n=3), congenital associated with double elevator palsy (n=1), Horner syndrome (n=1), oculopharyngeal dystrophy (n=1), chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (n=1), levator aponeurosis dehiscence (n=11).
Keywords: eyelid • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: prevalence/incidence • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: health care delivery/economics/manpower