Pediatric Ophthalmology Service
The Pediatric Ophthalmology and Squint service at Mathrushree Nethralaya, provides evaluation and treatment for the full range of eye conditions that affect children. Children experience a variety of eye problems, many quite distinct from
adult eye diseases.
We manage following disorders:
Strabismus is a misalignment of the eyes that affects 2-4% of the population;it is often associated with amblyopia. The inward turning gaze commonly referred to as "crossed-eyes"is an example of strabismus. The term strabismus
applies to other types of misalignments, including an upward, downward, or outward turning eye.
Amblyopia (lazy eye) occurs when the vision of one eye is significantly better than the other eye, and the brain begins to rely on the better eye and ignore the weaker one. Amblyopia affects 4% of the population and is clinically
diagnosed when the refractive error of one eye is more than 1.5 diopters different than the other eye. The management of amblyopia involves correcting of significant refractive errors and using techniques that encourage the
brain to pay attention to the weaker eye such as patching the stronger eye(occlusion therapy)
Congenital naso lacrimal duct obstruction Tears normally drain through small openings in the corners of the upper and lower eyelids called puncta and enter the nose through the nasolacrimal duct. Tear duct obstruction prevents
tears from draining through this system normally. The most common cause is the failure of a membrane at the end of the tear duct (valve of Hasner) to open normally at or near the time of birth.
Ptosis is a drooping or falling of the upper eyelid. If severe enough and left untreated, the drooping eyelid can cause other conditions, such as amblyopia or astigmatism. This is why it is especially important for this
disorder to be treated in children at a young age, before it can interfere with vision development.A droopy eyelid or ptosis can be present at birth (congenital) or occur later in life (acquired). Poor development of the levator
palpebralis muscle in the upper eyelid with resulting abnormal function is the most common cause of congenital ptosis. Acquired ptosis has many possible causes. Ptosis can involve one or both upper eyelids, with or without asymmetry
Refractive errors In order to see clearly, light rays from an object must focus onto the inner back layer of the eye [See figure 1]. The eye works like a camera. It has an opening at the front (the pupil), a focusing lens inside
(crystalline lens), and a light-sensing portion at the back (the retina). If light rays are not focused on the retina, a refractive error is present. The refractive errors are: myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism
Pediatric cataracts A cataract is a clouding of the lens inside the eye which leads to a decrease in vision. It is the most common cause of blindness and is conventionally treated with surgery. Visual loss occurs because opacification of
the lens obstructs light from passing and being focused on to the retina at the back of the eye
Pediatric glaucoma: Glaucoma is a group of diseases characterized by damage to the optic nerve that often occurs when the eye pressure is elevated and can result in severe vision loss. Glaucoma is more common in the
elderly but can develop at any age. Infants and children with glaucoma typically have different signs and symptoms than adults.
Dr. Venkatesh L K
MD(Ophth)(AIIMS)(Gold Medal), DNB, FRCS (Glasgow), Ex-Senior Registrar (AIIMS) in Oculoplasty, Orbit, Ocular Oncology & Pediatric Ophthalmology
