Yeshigeta Birhanu

• Professor
• Professor at Bahir Dar University

Background: The ongoing pandemic of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is currently the first public health agenda. Citizens of resource-poor countries like Ethiopia could be most affected by the pandemic unless aggressive plans are implemented. Despite the prevention and control efforts being made at the national and regional levels, there is no e...

Purpose : Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is an obligate intracellular, Gram-negative bacterium capable of infecting and inducing inflammatory pathologies responsible for trachomatous trichiasis, corneal blindness, inflammatory damage in fallopian tubes and infertility. Methods : Ct antigens relevant in trachoma were identified by quantitative immunopr...

Purpose: The aim of the study was to characterize the chlamydial infection status of subjects with trachomatous trichiasis (TT) and trachoma negative controls in two different trachoma endemic regions. Methods: 100 patients scheduled for trichiasis surgery (TT) and 100 matched controls (CO) without signs of trachoma were randomly selected in an op...

Introduction: Uveitis is an important cause of blindness and ocular morbidity in the world. The patterns of uveitis have not been well characterized in sub-Saharan Africa. Purpose: To describe the characteristics of uveitis among patients presenting to Jimma University Department of Ophthalmology (JUDO) from July 2013 to December 2014. Methods: Thi...

Background: Eye drops are most frequently used medications in ophthalmology. The carriage of pathogenic organisms to eyes through the agency of eye drops has presented a serious problem for several decades. The objective of this study was to determine the magnitude of contamination and pattern of antimicrobial resistance of in-use ophthalmic solut...

Purpose: To report a patient who presented with a very late-onset new growth of intraocular retinoblastoma, which occurred 11 years after the initial combined treatment. Observations: A 12-year-old monoophthalmic female patient presented with bilateral familial retinoblastoma showing new growth of intraocular tumor after 11 years of complete regres...

AIM: To determine the pattern, severity, and prognostic factors of ocular injuries in the southwest Ethiopia. METHODS:A prospective hospital based study was done on all patients presented with ocular injury to Jimma University Specialized Hospital from Apr. to Sep. 2009. Each patient underwent a detailed interview and a standard comprehensive ocula...

Objective:: To determine the prevalence of blinding trachoma among refugees in South Western Ethiopia. Methods:: A cross-sectional outreach clinic based descriptive study was conducted on 1 054 refugees in Southwest Ethiopia. A basic eyelid and cornea examination for signs of trachoma was done by using 2.5× binocular magnifying loupe. The findings...

Purpose: Successful outcomes of medical treatment for glaucoma require proper and daily use of medication to prevent disease progression. The aim of this study was to determine the adherence to anti-glaucoma medications and factors associated with non-adherence among patients with ocular hypertension (OHT) or glaucoma at Jimma University Specialize...

Introduction Lesions in medial longitudinal fasciculus (MLF) produce internuclear ophthalmoplegia (INO) with characteristic horizontal gaze abnormality. Here, the author reports a rare clinical spectrum of internuclear ophthalmoplegia called Cogan’s anterior internuclear ophthalmoplegia in young Ethiopian suspected to have multiple sclerosis. To th...

Background: The scarcity of eye health work force in developing world where low vision and blindness are major public health problems is well known. Integrating Primary Eye Care (PEC) with existing general health care system at community level is therefore crucial. However, there is lack of such integrated PEC service in Ethiopia. Objective: The ai...

Low vision and blindness are recognized as one of the major public health problems worldwide, especially in developing countries. The prevalence and cause of blindness and low vision vary from region to region, among different age and population groups in a country or geographical region. The objective of this study is thus to determine the causes...

Necrotizing fasciitis is a rare, rapidly progressive severe bacterial soft tissue infection with a high mortality rate. While necrotizing fasciitis classically involves the trunk, groin/perineum, lower limbs, and postoperative wound sites, primary involvement of the eyelids is a rare but well known entity. We present a 33-year-old female patient wh...

The incidence of retinal detachment in Blacks is generally considered to be low though there are few supporting studies in Africa. This study, thus, aimed at describing the clinical profile of patients with retinal detachment in Southwest Ethiopia. A hospital-based study was done on all consecutive retinal detachment patients who presented to Jimma...

BACKGROUND:Vision loss causes major changes in lifestyle and habits that may result in psychological distress and further reduction in the quality of life. Little is known about the magnitude of psychological distress in patients with vision loss and its variation with the normal. The aim of this study is, therefore, to investigate the psychologica...

Anthrax is a zoonotic disease caused by Bacillus anthracis. Naturally occurring human infection is rare and is generally the result of contact with anthrax-infected animals or animal products. We examined three patients who had contact with presumed anthrax-infected animal and/or its product and presented with preseptal cellulitis with a localized...

Background HIV/AIDS is one of twenty first century’s challenges to human being with protean manifestation affecting nearly all organs of our body. It is causing high morbidity and mortality especially in sub-Saharan Africa with numerous ocular complications and blindness. The purpose of this study was to determine the patterns of ocular manifestati...

Diabetic retinopathy accounts for 5% of global blindness and the incidence of diabetic blindness is increasing. Although the epidemiology of diabetic retinopathy has been well described in Western populations, there remains a paucity of prevalence data in many developing countries such as Ethiopia. To determine the prevalence, pattern and associate...

Vision play a vital role in driving where good and efficient visual functioning of the driver is essential. Any significant loss of visual function will diminish a driver's ability to operate a motor vehicle safely and will thus contribute to road traffic injury. However, there is little evidence indicating that defects of vision alone cause road t...

Trachoma is the leading cause of infectious blindness worldwide. Though trachoma can be treated with antibiotics (active trachoma) or surgery (trachomatous trichiasis), it is still endemic in most parts of Ethiopia. Despite the prevalence of this infectious disease in different parts of the country, district level data is lacking. This study was th...

Bacteria are the major etiologic agents causing external ocular infections. Resistance of ocular bacteria to antimicrobial agents is a worldwide concern. In this study we sought to determine the bacterial profile and antibiotic susceptibility pattern of external ocular infections patients attending Jimma University Specialized Hospital, Southwest E...

Background Raised intraocular pressure (IOP) is the only causal risk factor for glaucoma that can be therapeutically manipulated to change the course of the disease process. Though Goldman applanation tonometry (GAT) is the “gold standard” for IOP measurement, readings of IOP with GAT are affected by central corneal thickness (CCT). The aim of this...

Pseudoexfoliation is the most common identifiable cause of secondary glaucoma and pseudoexfoliation patients have higher rates of intraoperative and postoperative complications of cataract surgery compared to those without the condition. Hence, the objective of this study was to assess the clinical characteristics of pseudoexfoliation syndrome amon...

Estimates of intraocular pressure (IOP) are influenced directly by the central corneal thickness (CCT). We assume and apply a single value for CCT (520 μm) in applanation tonometry estimates, although there is compelling evidence that CCT varies between individuals. To determine the influence of CCT and other factors on IOP among Ethiopians. A cros...

Diseases affecting the cornea are a major cause of blindness worldwide, and affect mainly the young and those of middle age resulting in blindness during the normally productive years and beyond Cornea transplants can cure corneal blindness; however, the number of corneas available in Ethiopia is small. To assess the socio-demographic factors influ...

BACKGROUND: Khat (Catha edulis Forsk) chewing habit is becoming a national concern. The habit is spreading at an alarming rate among the young generation especially in high schools and higher institutions in Ethiopia. Students in universities and colleges commonly use khat, cigarette, coffee and other substances to get mental alertness. The objecti...

ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: Ocular trauma is an important public health hazard with enormous human, social and economical consequences. Worldwide, there are about 1.6 million blind and 19 million with unilateral visual loss people from eye injuries. A study done at a teaching referral hospital in Addis Ababa revealed 15.8% of blindness to be attributed t...

Background: Khat (Catha edulis forsk) contains a psychoactive substance called cathinone, which produces central stimulation analogous to amphetamine. It is widely abused in East Africa in general and in Ethiopia in particular for various purposes. Habitual use of khat renders certain influence on the physical, psychological and economical well bei...