Ophthalmologic Findings in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a chronic disease which is seen in early childhood, i.e. in the first two years of life. It is a non-progressive disorder resulting from a defect or lesion in the immature brain and thus leading to posture and movement disorders. The reason for facing high rates of ophthalmologic problems in CP cases is that visual functions are covered in a large area in the brain. While vision defect in the normal population ranges from 4 to 5%, this rate in children with CP is nearly ten times more . Given that patients with CP are not followed up, the ophthalmologic examination is performed in advanced stages and that there are difficulties in spectacle use, amblyopia is detected more often in those patients than in healthy people. The treatment of CP patients needs multi-disciplinary cooperation. So, CP patients must be referred to ophthalmologists for a detailed examination in the early stages. Furthermore, other accompanying disorders (audiologic, orthopedic and psychiatric) should be evaluated and rehabilitation programmes should be carefully applied in early stages to help CP patients achieve healthy lifestyle. (Turk J Oph thal mol 2012; 42: 219-26