Seth Yaw Lartey | Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana (original) (raw)

Papers by Seth Yaw Lartey

DergiPark (Istanbul University), Apr 30, 2017

Amaç: Çal›flman›n amac› Gana, Kumasi'de bulunan Komfo Anokye E¤itim Hastanesi'ndeki çocuklarda si... more Amaç: Çal›flman›n amac› Gana, Kumasi'de bulunan Komfo Anokye E¤itim Hastanesi'ndeki çocuklarda sinüzite ba¤l› orbital komplikasy-onlar›n patern ve insidanslar›n› de¤erlendirmektir. Yöntem: Hastal›¤›n de¤iflik evre ve formlar›n›n patern ve insidansla-r›n› de¤erlendirmek için befl y›ll›k dönemde 1627 çocuk aras›nda sinüzit sonucu de¤iflik orbital komplikasyonlarla gelmifl 2 ila 14 yaflla-r›nda 92 çocuk de¤erlendirilmifltir. Bulgular: De¤erlendirilen 1627 çocuktan 92'sinde (%5.7) orbital komplikasyonlar mevcuttu. Komplikasyon olanlar aras›nda %52.2'si orbital selülit, %22.8'i subperiostal apse, %14.1'i periorbital selülit, %8.7'si orbital apse, %2.2'si kavernöz sinüs trombozuyla gelmiflti. Sonuç: Sinojenik orbital komplikasyonlar›n düflük insidans›na ra¤men bu çal›flma çocuklarda sinüzit nedeniyle tüm orbital komplikasyonlar içinde en çok görülenin orbital selülit oldu¤unu göstermifltir.

Research Square (Research Square), Jul 31, 2019

Background: Corneal transplantations are surgeries performed for irreparable corneal diseases and... more Background: Corneal transplantations are surgeries performed for irreparable corneal diseases and damage. However, there is a gap between the number of potential recipients and the number of donor corneas available. The main aim of the study was to determine the awareness and attitudes toward corneal donation among applicants and staff of DVLA, Kumasi-Ghana. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. One hundred participants were selected using convenient sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit responses from participants concerning awareness and attitudes toward corneal transplant. Results: The mean ± SD age of the participants was 32.05 ± 11.48 years and age range, 18-67 years. Males were 66% whilst females constituted 34%. 32.7% of the participants were aware of corneal donation. Majority of the participants were Christians (83.1%) and Singles (63%). Television was the source of information with the highest preponderance (49.4%). 67.3% were willing to donate their corneas after death. 63.9% were willing to indicate their donor statuses on drivers' license form which had a significant association with willingness to donate cornea after death (p < 0.05, x 2 = 12.187). Conclusion: There is a poor level of awareness (32.7%) of transplant and donation amongst the study population but a good level of willingness to donate organs (67%). Consent via driving license would seem to be a good potential mode of obtaining consent to supplement the harvesting of adequate tissues for transplant if adequate awareness is created.

PubMed, Jun 1, 2013

We share our experience of a 50-year-old controlled hypertensive woman who had routine cataract s... more We share our experience of a 50-year-old controlled hypertensive woman who had routine cataract surgery in her left eye. She was given retrobulbar Xylocaine with adrenalin and postoperative gentamycin. She subsequently became blind in the operated eye after developing macular infarction by the first day post operative and optic atrophy by 2 months postoperative. This could have been caused by vascular occlusion in an already compromised artherosclerosed vessels. It could also have been due to gentamyin toxicity. Gentamycin injection given subconjunctivally is known to rarely result in severe retinal toxicity. This case illustrates that even though cataract surgery is considerd a simple routine procedure, and is performed in high volumes, it is not without its blinding complications. We recommend that the use of adrenaline in xylocaine should be used with caution in hypertensive patients and also the routine use of subconjunctival gentamycin injection after cataract surgery should be reviewed and other modes of endophthalmitis prophylaxis be considered.

The Annals of African Surgery, Feb 9, 2021

Background: Chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG) is a visually destructive disease. Effective ma... more Background: Chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG) is a visually destructive disease. Effective management of CACG requires identifying eyes with narrow angle. Objective: To compare pentacam with gonioscopy in detecting narrow angles in eyes with CACG. Method: We enrolled 101 eyes with glaucoma. Gonioscopy was performed on all eyes. Using Shaffer's grading, subjects were classified into angle closure and open angle. Anterior chamber volume (ACV) and anterior chamber depth (ACD) were measured with the pentacam. Receiver operating curve was constructed for each parameter and the area under the curve (AUC) was calculated. Results: Ten eyes (9.9%) were classified as angle closure on gonioscopy. To detect narrow angles, ACV (AUC 0.956; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.894-0.987) performed similar to ACD (AUC=0.930, p=0.33). Using a cutoff of 102 mm 3 , ACV had 100% sensitivity and 88.5% specificity for detecting narrow angles in CACG patients. With an ACV cutoff of 102 mm 3 , the PPV for detecting angle closure was 48.9% (95% CI, 34.8-68.2), while the NPV was 100% (94.1-100%), using 9.9% prevalence of angle closure from this study. Conclusion: ACV and ACD measured by the pentacam have the potential to determine narrow angles in eyes with CACG.

JOJ ophthalmology, Sep 19, 2019

Vitamin A deficiency is considered a public health problem in over 60 countries including Ghana [... more Vitamin A deficiency is considered a public health problem in over 60 countries including Ghana [6]. Ghana, in West Africa, has a population of approximately 25 million people, 15% of whom are preschool age children below the age of 5 years. Although declining, the under 5 mortality rates was 112 per 1000 live births in 2010 and the infant mortality rate was 63 per 1000 live births [7]. The blindness prevalence in the whole population is estimated to be 0.9% and the prevalence of blindness in children aged 0-15years is estimated at 0.8 per 1000 [8]. In Ghana, climate and ecology influence risk factors for vitamin A deficiency disorders (VADD). Studies conducted in Ghana have shown that in the northern dry savannah areas where vitamin A rich foods cannot be grown all year round, the prevalence of night blindness is much higher than in the forest areas in the south where these foods s are abundant. In the north of the country, infrastructure and health services are also less well developed [7,9].

The Annals of African Surgery, Jul 20, 2021

Background: Corneal blindness contributes to 25% of all blindness. We review corneal transplant, ... more Background: Corneal blindness contributes to 25% of all blindness. We review corneal transplant, a common surgical remedy, in Ghana to determine indications and visual outcomes in resource-poor environments. Methods: A retrospective cross-sectional study of keratoplasty evaluating indications, pre-and postoperative outcomes complications and their associations, between January 2014 and December 2018 at a teaching hospital in Ghana. Descriptive statistics and McNemar's test were used for the analyses. Results: Seventy-five eyes were studied. The mean ± standard deviation (SD) age of patients was 45.08 ± 17.85 years, the majority being 20-39 years (58.7% were male). Pseudophakia bullous keratopathy (PBK) was the commonest indication for keratoplasty (26.7%) followed by keratoconus (21.3%). Preoperatively 96% of eyes were blind with vision <3/60 with 64% out of the total eyes with vision <1/60. Postoperatively, 60% of all grafts had uncorrected vision of 3/60 or better after the last follow-up. McNemar's test revealed a statistically significant difference between postsurgical and pre-surgical visual acuity (VA) (p < 0. 001). The median follow-up period was 12 months. The commonest postsurgical complication was raised intraocular pressure (IOP) (22.7%) with a total of 14.7% of grafts failures. Conclusion: In this setting, PBK is the leading indication for corneal transplant. Visual outcomes for corneal transplant in this resourcepoor area are not worse than in other settings. We need to pay attention to corneal transplant services to cater for the expected increase in PBK from the increasing cataract surgical rate.

BMC Ophthalmology, Nov 12, 2019

Translational Vision Science & Technology, Apr 28, 2020

The purpose of this study was to characterize foveal pit morphology in an African (Ghanaian) popu... more The purpose of this study was to characterize foveal pit morphology in an African (Ghanaian) population, to compare it to that of a Caucasian group and to determine if it varied with age in the two populations. Methods: The depth, diameter, slope, and volume of the foveal pit were interpolated from optical coherence tomography volume scans recorded in 84 Ghanaian and 37 Caucasian individuals. Their association with age, sex, and ethnicity was investigated using multilevel regression models. Results: The foveal pit differed significantly in width, slope, and volume between Ghanaian men and women (P < 0.001), but only in width and volume between Caucasian men and women (P < 0.01). In Ghanaians, age was associated with a narrowing of the foveal depression and a reduction of its volume. Overall, these changes were more pronounced in women as compared to men and were largely absent from the Caucasian group. When controlled for age, the foveal pit of Ghanaians was significantly wider and larger in volume as compared to the Caucasian group (P < 0.001). Conclusions: The morphology of the foveal pit differs between African and Caucasian individuals. These anatomic differences should be considered when examining differences in prevalence and clinical features of vitreoretinal disorders involving the fovea between the two populations. Translational Relevance: Differences in retinal anatomy may partly explain variations in the prevalence and clinical features of retinal diseases between Africans and Caucasians. Such differences should be adequately considered in diagnoses and monitoring of ocular diseases in patients with African ancestry.

Ghana Medical Journal, Nov 25, 2015

Background: Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is an irreversible blinding disease that often pre... more Background: Primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) is an irreversible blinding disease that often presents late because it is symptomless in the early stages. Prognosis depends on early diagnosis and treatment and patient understanding of their condition. Many patients present late because of poor awareness and knowledge. This study was conducted to assess patient's awareness and knowledge of glaucoma in a referral Teaching Hospital. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among glaucoma patients aged 40 years and above attending the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH). Patients were selected by simple random sampling. They were recruited after informed consent had been given. A questionnaire on demographics, socio-economics and awareness of glaucoma was administered. Results: There were a total of 117 participants, 61 males and 56 females. The median and modal age group was 50 and 59 years. Amongst the participants, 74% were aware of glaucoma. There were no significant statistical difference in the various age groups, sex, ethnic group or religion and their awareness of glaucoma (P>0.05).There were statistically significant differences between those who had higher education and their awareness of glaucoma (P< 0.001). Yet only 27% of these had accurate knowledge of glaucoma. Conclusion: Glaucoma awareness in patients attending Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital is high. Higher education was associated with higher awareness yet this was not translated into accurate knowledge as there were significant misconceptions .There is the need to review the contents of health education with the aim of reducing dangerous misconception of glaucoma and targeting the lower socioeconomic population.

Ent updates, Apr 30, 2017

Research Square (Research Square), Nov 5, 2019

Ghana Medical Journal, Jul 17, 2017

Background: To determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy maculopathy and cataract amongst ... more Background: To determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy maculopathy and cataract amongst diabetics and the prevalence of visual impairment amongst diabetics attending the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital eye unit. There are no current data in the study area on the prevalence of visual impairment and blindness amongst diabetics. This data is required in planning for screening and prevention of blindness due to diabetics. Methods: This was a hospital based cross sectional study. Subjects were diabetic patients attending the diabetic clinic. Simple random sampling was used. Demographic was taken. Visual acuity and refraction was done. Slit lamp examination was used to identify cataract. Maculopathy and retinopathy was determined using a 90D Volk lens and an indirect ophthalmoscope. Results: Non-insulin dependent diabetics constituted 97.1% whilst 2.9% were insulin dependent diabetics. The prevalence of the outcomes measures was: Cataract (23.7%) mild and moderate retinopathy (13.7%) severe proliferative retinopathy (1.8%) maculopathy (6.8%). Prevalence of low vision and blindness was 18.4%. Amongst diabetics 59.1% had no previous eye evaluation. Impaired vision due to cataract was 24.0 % representing a 40% decline in a decade. Conclusion: The prevalence of visual impairment was high at 18.4%. The reduction in impaired vision due to cataract over a decade is suggestive of either an improved cataract surgical rate or improved diabetic care or both. Majority of the diabetic patients 59.1% had not received prior ocular evaluation. There is an urgent need to have a screening program in this area

Ophthalmology Retina, 2022

OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE West African Crystalline Maculopathy (WACM) is characterized by the presence of... more OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE West African Crystalline Maculopathy (WACM) is characterized by the presence of macular hyper-refractile crystal-like deposits. Although the underlying pathophysiology has not been elucidated, a few biological drivers have been proposed. We analysed a large WACM case series to gain a more robust understanding of its features and etiology. DESIGN Prospective, Cross-sectional cohort study. SUBJECTS/PARTICIPANTS Participants with WACM were selected from the large cohort recruited into the Ghana Age-Related Macular Degeneration Study (Ghana AMD Study). METHODS Demographic and detailed medical histories, full ophthalmic examinations, digital colour fundus photographs and optical coherence tomography (OCT) images were obtained. All WACM cases were evaluated by three retina experts. Crystal numbers, location, and distribution were determined. Associations between WACM and Caucasian AMD risk variants were assessed using Firth's bias-reduced logistic regression, including age and gender as covariates. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Phenotypic features of, and genetic associations with, WACM. RESULTS WACM was identified in 106 eyes of 53 participants: 22 were bilateral and 24 unilateral. Grading for AMD was not possible in one eye of seven WACM participants; therefore, laterality was not assessed in these subjects. Thirty-eight participants were female, and 14 male; gender was unrecorded for one participant. Mean age was 68.4 years (range 45-101). OCT demonstrated typical WACM crystals, which were more easily identified at high contrast and predominantly located at the inner limiting membrane (ILM). In eyes with co-pathology, crystals localised deeper in the inner retina with wider retinal distribution over co-pathology lesions. There was no age or gender association. A significant association was observed between the complement factor H (CFH) 402H risk variant and WACM. CONCLUSION This study confirms localization of crystals adjacent to the ILM, and distribution over lesions in eyes with co-pathology. Evaluation of OCT images under high contrast allows improved identification. WACM may be associated with the CFH-CFHR5 AMD-risk locus identified amongst Caucasians; however, it is also possible that combination of crystals and the CFH 402H allele increases the risk for developing late AMD. Further analyses using larger sample sizes are warranted to identify causalities between genotype and WACM phenotype.

Research Square (Research Square), Jan 4, 2019

Introduction: Corneal transplantations are surgeries performed for irreparable corneal diseases a... more Introduction: Corneal transplantations are surgeries performed for irreparable corneal diseases and damage. However, there is a gap between the number of potential recipients and the number of donor corneas available. The main aim of the study was to determine the awareness and attitudes towards corneal transplants among applicants and staff of DVLA, Kumasi-Ghana. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted. 100 participants were selected using convenient sampling method. A structured questionnaire was used to elicit responses from participants concerning awareness and attitudes toward corneal transplant. Results: The mean ± SD age of the participants was 32.05 ± 11.48years and age range, 18-67years. Males were 66% whilst females constituted 34%. 32.7% of the participants were aware of corneal transplant. Majority of the participants were Christians (83.1%) and Singles (63%). Television was the source of information with the highest preponderance (49.4%). 67.3% were willing to donate their corneas after death. 63.9% were willing to indicate their donor statuses on drivers' license form which had a significant association with willingness to donate cornea after death (p<0.05, ᵪ2= 12.187). Conclusion: There is a poor level of awareness (32.7%) of transplant donation amongst the study population but and a good level of willingness to donate organs (67%). Consent via driving license would seem to be a good potential mode of obtaining consent to supplement the harvesting of adequate tissues for transplant if adequate awareness is created.

Postgraduate Medical Journal of Ghana

Introduction: The international community for eye care has targeted 2020 for eliminating avoidabl... more Introduction: The international community for eye care has targeted 2020 for eliminating avoidable blindness as a public health problem in the VISION 2020 agenda. However, eye care services in sub-Saharan Africa remain poor. The burden of eye diseases is unknown countrywide and in many rural districts in Ghana.Setting: We present data on patients examined at an outreach clinic for eye disorders in Ejura-Sekyedumase, a rural district in Ghana, in December 2006.Objective: To determine the prevalence of vision impairment among eye clinic attendees. Our aim was to give a profile of eye diseases in the district as baseline data to health authorities for action.Methods: In January 2012, we studied the characteristics of 780 patients examined at an outreach clinic organised in December 2006, in Ejura-Sekyedumasi District, Ghana. We performed descriptive analysis of data from records and reviewed clinic reports.Results: Of 780 patients examined, 704 (90.3%) had a disorder in one or both eye...

Clinical ophthalmology (Auckland, N.Z.), 2018

There is a severe shortage of donor corneas available worldwide for transplantation, with the num... more There is a severe shortage of donor corneas available worldwide for transplantation, with the number of patients in need of transplant greatly exceeding the number of cornea tissues available. Understanding awareness and attitudes about corneal donation worldwide is a critical step toward addressing this shortage. In this review, awareness of corneal donation and reported willingness to donate are summarized from 55 published studies across 13 countries. In general, many more respondents indicated positive attitudes toward eye donation and willingness to donate their eyes than the number of respondents who have pledged their eyes for donation, suggesting an unrealized potential of additional donors. Specifically, of 38,851 respondents across all included studies, 52% endorsed a willingness to donate their eyes after death, yet only 5% reported being a pledged donor. The most commonly cited reason for not being a registered eye donor was lack of awareness about eye donation. The disc...

Annals of African Surgery

Background: Pterygium is a conjunctival subepithelial fibrovascular growth commonly occurring in ... more Background: Pterygium is a conjunctival subepithelial fibrovascular growth commonly occurring in the inter-palpebral conjunctiva nasally or temporally. It tends to grow over the cornea, leading to visual impairment due to various factors, including astigmatism. Methods: This was a prospective, multi-centered, hospital-based, interventional study carried out within 12 months in three eye centers in the Ashanti region of Ghana. One hundred eyes of 100 adults (≥18 years) with primary pterygia were recruited. Operated eyes had measurements of uncorrected visual acuity (UVA), aided visual acuity (AVA), and keratometry readings (K-readings) before pterygium excision with conjunctival autograft (CAG), 2 weeks after surgery, and 6 weeks after surgery. Results: The mean age of patients was 47.1±11.5 years. The mean pre-operative astigmatism was 5.0±5.9 D. The mean astigmatism values at 2 and 6 weeks post-operatively were 1.7±1.5 and 1.3±1.0 D, respectively. Eighty-nine eyes had AVA ≥6/12 (0....

Background: There seems a preponderance of hospital-based studies on the prevalence of Allergic C... more Background: There seems a preponderance of hospital-based studies on the prevalence of Allergic Conjunctivitis (AC) compared to community-based ones, particularly among children in Ghana and Africa as a whole. Meanwhile, literature supports the possibility of underdiagnosing AC in the hospital setting; exponentially so when males generally have poor hospital-attending behavior. This may lead to underestimation of the true burden of AC. Consequently, the purpose of the current community-based study was to determine the prevalence of AC among basic school children in the Kumasi Metropolis, while identifying its associated symptoms. Methods: A cross-sectional community-based study involving 1571 students from 11 basic schools (Primary and JHS) participated in the study. Data collection started in November 2011 and was completed in March 2014. After history taking, subjects underwent a battery of tests; visual acuity, objective refraction, anterior and posterior segments examination wit...