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. 2002 Feb;86(2):133–139. doi: 10.1136/bjo.86.2.133

Table 5.

Percentage distribution of principal causes of impaired/blind eyes by presenting visual acuity and age

Presenting visual acuity Subject age (years)
Principal cause ≥6/60–<6/18 ≥3/60–<6/60 <3/60 60–69 70–79 ≥80 All (%)
Refractive error 61.6 10.0 2.9 63.4 52.4 32.0 51.0
Cataract 25.1 51.6 36.2 16.5 28.1 43.6 28.1
Macular degeneration 5.0 14.7 20.7 6.3 6.1 12.0 7.6
Glaucoma 2.2 4.6 7.5 2.8 3.5 2.4 3.0
Corneal opacity 1.6 5.3 5.9 3.6 1.8 1.6 2.4
Retinal abnormalities 1.6 2.8 7.5 2.8 2.6 1.7 2.4
High myopia 0.8 3.7 5.4 1.5 1.6 1.5 1.6
Others 0.3 1.9 4.2 1.0 0.8 0.9 0.9
Globe (absent/phthisical) 6.6 0.4 1.0 1.1 0.8
Optic atrophy 0.4 2.5 2.7 0.4 0.8 1.3 0.8
PCO/after cataract 0.8 0.9 0.4 0.8 0.6 1.0 0.7
Undetermined 0.6 2.1 0.4 0.7 0.9 0.7
All 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0 100.0