BackgroundPreviously reported data has guided the treatment and prevention of blindness. This study aimed to evaluate the current prevalence and causes of visual impairment among adults who were 50 years old and older in the Binhu District of Wuxi City, China.Material/MethodsA randomized sample of stratified clusters was used to analyze individuals from 30 basic sampling units in Wuxi Binhu District. Visual impairment was defined according to World Health Organization (WHO) standards.ResultsA total of 6725 people who were at least 50 years old participated in this study. According to WHO standards, bilateral low vision and blindness prevalence were both higher in women than in men (low vision: 6.5% vs. 5.2%; and blindness: 1.4% vs. 0.8%; P=0.022 and P=0.039, respectively). The incidence of bilateral visual impairment increased significantly with age (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). Further studies showed that the main causes of bilateral low vision were cataract, high myopic macular degeneration (MMD), and age-related macular degeneration (AMD). The main causes of bilateral blindness were cataract, MMD, and eye loss/atrophy, while the main causes of monocular low vision were cataract, MD, and AMD. The main causes of monocular blindness were cataract, eye loss/atrophy, and AMD.ConclusionsThe prevalence of low vision and blindness remains high in the Binhu District of Wuxi City in China, especially among older women. In our study, cataracts were the leading cause of visual impairment. Our study highlights that some efforts should be initiated to prevent and treat blindness and low vision. Additional causes of visual impairment were MMD, AMD, and eye loss/atrophy.

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BackgroundCurrently, safe and effective surgical treatment of malignant glaucoma is still under investigation. This study evaluated the clinical efficacy of ciliary ring incision combined with modified partial pars plana vitrectomy in the treatment of malignant glaucoma. The technique is particularly useful in the treatment of “phakic” patients with malignant glaucoma, especially those who wish to preserve the natural lens.Material/MethodsWe retrospectively analyzed 13 cases (16 eyes) of malignant glaucoma in which patients underwent ciliary ring incision combined with modified partial pars plana vitrectomy based on follow-up data collected from May 2004 to March 2017. The data we analyzed included postoperative best-corrected visual acuity(BCVA), intraocular pressure (IOP), anterior chamber depth (ACD), optic cup changes, and surgical complications; some patients underwent visual field tracking. The mean follow-up period was 33.1±10.6 (range, 19–46) months.ResultsA statistically significant number of eyes had improved visual acuity 1 year after surgery compared with the preoperative difference (Z=−3.853, P=0.000). Increases in the mean anterior chamber depth and decreases in the mean IOP measured at the 1-week and the 1-year follow-ups were also statistically significant. There were no serious complications during the follow-up period.ConclusionsCiliary ring incision combined with modified partial pars plana vitrectomy for malignant glaucoma not only provided a clear and reliable intraoperative vitrectomy channel, but it also caused less disturbance of intraocular tissue structure and fewer complications. It also has the advantage of preserving the lens and avoiding further damage to the anatomy in the anterior segment of the eye.