Effectiveness of refractive error correction for people with oculocutaneous albinism in South Indian population

Introduction: Albinism comes from ‘albus’, the Latin word meaning white, and refers to a group of hereditary disorders wherein biosynthesis pigment melanin is absent or reduced. Oculocutaneous albinism (OCA) heterogeneous autosomal recessive disorder that involves lack in skin, hair, eyes, associated with ocular visual defects such as photophobia, strabismus, nystagmus low vision. Materials Methods: This was cross sectional descriptive community based study conducted at tertiary care medical college hospital. The Department Ophthalmology enrolled 39 subjects satisfying inclusion criteria. diagnostic criteria for OCA patients included study, were those having features iris transillumination retinal hypopigmentation addition depigmentation hair nails. Results: included, mean age 20 years. largest proportion participants (40%) between 16 25yrs. Using World Health Organization classification on best corrected distance acuity, 8%, 70%, 15% 7% 78 eyes had normal vision, moderate VI, severe VI blindness respectively. Conclusion: There high prevalence refractive, non-refractive mixed ophthalmic among albinos. significant improvement acuity function following optical correction alignment people albinism, despite overall subnormal acuity. Refractive should be encouraged albinism.