Epstein-Barr Virus DNA Is Associated With Conjunctival Squamous Cell Carcinomas: A Case-Control Study From Zimbabwe.

Incidence of conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) in Zimbabwe is >30-fold higher than the global average. cSCC risk is notably higher among people with human immunodeficiency virus, implicating impaired immune response and a yet unknown infectious etiology. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded blocks from Zimbabwe, comprising conjunctival precancer (n = 78), invasive cSCC cases (n = 148) and nonmalignant eye lesions (n = 119), were tested for multiple DNA viruses using Luminex bead-based technology.

Assessment of Preparedness for Remote Teaching and Learning to Transform Health Professions Education in Sub-Saharan Africa in Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: Protocol for a Mixed Methods Study With a Case Study Approach.

Background: The current COVID-19 pandemic is affecting all aspects of society worldwide. To combat the pandemic, measures such as face mask-wearing, hand-washing and -sanitizing, movement restrictions, and social distancing have been introduced. These measures have significantly disrupted education, particularly health professions education, which depends on student-patient contact for the development of clinical competence.

Mentored postdoctoral training in Zimbabwe: A report on a successful collaborative effort.

Low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) have high disease burdens, necessitating increased research. However, LMIC research output constitutes only 2% of global total. To increase output, researchers must be capacitated.

Competency based ophthalmology training curriculum for undergraduate medical students in Zimbabwe.

Background: The establishment of a credible, defensible and acceptable “formal competency based ophthalmology training curriculum for undergraduate medical and dental students” is fundamental to program recognition, monitoring and evaluation. The University of Zimbabwe College of Health Sciences (UZ-CHS) has never had a formal ophthalmology training curriculum for medical graduates since its inception. This has cast doubts on the quality of medical graduates produced with regards to delivery of basic primary eye care in the community.

The prevalence, types and effects of traditional eye medicine use among newly presenting patients at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital Eye Unit in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Background: The use of Traditional Medicines (TM) is common practice world over. Traditional Eye Medicine (TEM) use may be associated with various ocular complications including blindness. A study on the prevalence of TEM use was carried out at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital Eye Unit (SKHEU) in Harare, with emphasis on the types ofTEM used and associated ocular complications.

New model of subconjunctival tumor development in rabbits.

Conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is an uncommon disease. However, SCC has recently become an important clinical problem due the identification of a significantly high incidence of SCC among a group of black African patients with AIDS. However, basic research concerning SCC, including both intraepithelial and invasive squamous neoplasia, is limited due to the lack of an ocular tumor animal model.

Rhabdomyosarcoma of the orbit in a four months old infant in Zimbabwe: A case report.

Infants younger than one year of age with Rhabdomyosarcoma appear to have worse prognosis compared to older children due partly to high rates of local failure. We report a 4 months old infant with orbital rhabdomyosarcoma with poor outcome. Reluctance to use aggressive local control measures and suboptimal chemotherapy dosing are significant contributory factors.

Patterns of Retinoblastoma in Zimbabwe: 2000-2009.

Objective: To document the pattern of retinoblastoma in children in Zimbabwe for the period 2000-2009.

Design: Retrospective study.

Methods: Analysis of data from the Zimbabwe National Cancer registry and records of patients admitted to the Paediatric Oncology unit.

Low level technology tool (LLTT) in screening for blindness: test qualities in the outpatients department of a tertiary eye unit using the Snellen chart.

Objective: To validate the use of finger counting (low level technology tool) in screening for blindness in the outpatients department of a tertiary eye unit with the view of employing the test for screening illiterate people in hard to reach parts of the country where the conventional visual acuity charts are not available.

Design: Aperformance evaluation of counting fingers (LLTT) in screening for blindness against the standard test (Snellen chart).

Setting: Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit, Parirenyatwa Hospital, Zimbabwe.

Bilateral HIV related ocular surface squamous neoplasia: a paradigm shift.

Four patients with bilateral ocular surface squamous neoplasia attended to at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital Eye Unit are being presented to alert practitioners that OSSN is potentially a bilateral disease and its prevalence is likely to increase as the life expectancy of HIV infected patients is being positively affected by antiretroviral therapy. Reports on ocular diseases should be clear on laterality to avoid confusion between number of patients affected and number of eyes involved since the two cannot be used interchangeably.

Xeroderma pigmentosum: a retrospective case series in Zimbabwe.

Purpose: To present our experience with the clinical features and management of black African patients with xeroderma pigmentosum (XP).

Patients And Methods: Twelve patients with XP were seen over a 25-year period, and were retrospectively reviewed for age, gender, clinical features, treatment, and follow-up.

Results: There were 8 females and 4 males with an age range of 3 to 18 years.

Mortality in an ophthalmic ward at a tertiary eye unit in Zimbabwe.

Objective: To review and determine the attributed causes of deaths among patients who died in Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital (SKH) Eye Unit Wards between August 1984 and October 2008

Study Design: Retrospective study of completed BD12 forms and case records of inpatients who died betweenAugust 1984 and October 2008.

Setting: Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital Eye Unit, Parirenyatwa Group ofHospitals, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Results: Eighty three deaths occurred in the unit during the 24 year period, 51% were females and 33.

A historical perspective of registered cases of malignant ocular tumors in Zimbabwe (1990 to 1999). Is HIV infection a factor?

Introduction: Anecdotal and published reports suggest that ocular tumours are on the increase in Zimbabwe.

Objectives: To determine the trends in incidence rates of common malignant ocular tumours registered with the Zimbabwe Cancer Registry during the last decade (1990 to 1999).

Design: Retrospective study.

Ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) and human immunodeficiency virus at Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit in Zimbabwe: the role of operational research studies in a resource poor environment?

Objective: To determine the extent of association and relative risk of developing ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) among HIV positive patients seen in July 2004 at Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit, in Harare, Zimbabwe.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit.

The rate of and indications for enucleations at Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit in Harare: a comparative analysis.

Objectives: To determine the rate of and indications for enucleation at Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit (SKEU) in Zimbabwe and compare the findings with those from other tertiary eye care centres in the developing world.

Design: Descriptive retrospective cross sectional study.

Setting: Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit, Parirenyatwa Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe.

The trend of ocular surface squamous neoplasia among ocular surface tumour biopsies submitted for histology from Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit, Harare between 1996 and 2000.

Objective: To determine the trend in the prevalence of ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) among ocular surface tumour biopsies submitted for histology from Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit (SKEU), Harare between January 1996 and August 2000.

Design: The study was a retrospective records review of patients who had biopsies of ocular surface tumours done during the study period.

Setting: National Referral Centre for eye patients (Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit), Parirenyatwa Hospital, Harare, Zimbabwe.

Orbital exenterations and squamous cell carcinoma of the conjunctiva at Sekuru Kaguvi Eye Unit, Zimbabwe.

Objectives: The aim of the audit was to determine the common orbital diseases necessitating orbital exenterations at Sekuru Kaguvi Hospital (SKH) between January and December 1999 and recommend ways of reducing the numbers of procedures done annually.

Design: Retrospective cross sectional study.

Setting: Department of Surgery, Parirenyatwa Hospital, University of Zimbabwe.

A case of extreme myopia enrolled at a school for the blind.

A case of extreme myopia causing remedial blindness in a child enrolled at a school for the blind is presented. The need for training optometrists and creating posts for them at Central and Provincial Eye Units in the country has been highlighted. Selection guidelines for enrolling students at schools for the blind are essential if inappropriate admissions to these schools are to be curtailed.

An extraordinary role for village community development workers in diagnosing blindness in the community.

Objective: To determine the reliability of village community development workers in screening for blindness in the community and to suggest an extraordinary role for these cadres.

Design: Diagnostic study.

Setting: Chivi District, Zimbabwe.

Cataract surgery in Zimbabwe: the way forward.

The adoption of extracapsular cataract extraction and implant surgery as the standard method of managing senile cataracts in Zimbabwe has been hindered by several factors. These are; succumbing to pressure from promoters of intracapsular cataract surgery, inadequate human and material resources and the problems related to implementation. The problems with intracapsular cataract surgery and aphakic correction are well known.

Pseudo-exfoliation syndrome in Chivi District: a disease with no geographical or racial boundaries.

Objective: To report on the high prevalence of pseudo-exfoliation syndrome and to suggest its possible link with glaucoma in Black Zimbabweans.

Design: Cross sectional.

Setting: Chivi District.