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[Corneal complications of traditional local ocular treatment in the Democratic Republic of the Congo].

The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine the relationship between the use of local traditional eye medicine and the occurrence of corneal ulcers. The study population included 53 patients who consulted from January 1998 to October 1999 at two hospitals in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, after visiting a traditional healer. Clinical examination of the eye was performed in all cases and bacteriological tests in most. Local traditional eye medicine is used in both urban and rural areas. Factors associated with the use of local traditional eye medicine include level of education and social class. A cause-and-effect relationship was found between the use of local traditional eye medicines and development or worsening of corneal ulcers. Peripheral corneal ulcers were the most common. Corneal perforation was more frequent in association with peripheral ulcers. Use of traditional eye medicine often leads to corneal ulcers with perforation and destruction of the eye in most cases. For this reason these practice must be curtailed. However further study is needed to identify the active agents in plants used by traditional healers as well as to determine their efficacy and toxicity for the eye.