RESUMO
PURPOSE: A population-based study was conducted to determine the prevalence of color deficiencies in secondary-school students (ages 12-14) in Tehran. METHODS: A total of 2,058 students (1,136 males, 922 females) were examined with Ishihara pseudoisochromatic color plates. RESULTS: In the study population, 97 cases of defective color vision were detected, including 93 males and 4 females. The affected individuals all had negative histories of previous systemic and ocular disease or chronic use of medications. The visual acuity was 20/20 and the fundus was normal in all affected students. Of the 93 cases of defective color vision in males (8.18%), 56 cases (4.93%) involved deuteranomaly, 13 (1.14%) protanomaly, 13 (1.14%) deuteranopia, and 11 (0.97%) protanopia. The four cases in females (0.43%) involved deuteranomaly in three cases (0.32%) and protanomaly in 1 case (0.11%). Deuteranopia and protanopia were not detected in females. CONCLUSION: This is the first study to determine the prevalence of congenital color blindness in Iran. The results agree with reports of prevalence of congenital color blindness from Western Europe.
