[PRESENTATION OF OCULAR PROBLEMS AMONG DISPLACED PERSONS FROM SUDAN AND ERITREA AT THE TEL AVIV MEDICAL CENTER].

INTRODUCTION: Illegal immigration from Africa to Israel expanded in recent years, bringing illegal immigrants, mostly from Eritrea and Sudan. No data regarding the ophthalmic conditions of this population was previously published.

AIMS: To delineate reasons for ophthalmologic emergency room visits and hospitalizations in the ophthalmology department at a tertiary center in Tel Aviv, Israel.

METHODS: In this retrospective study we reviewed the records of patients of Eritrean and Sudanese origin arriving at the ophthalmic emergency room at the Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center between June 2012 and August 2012 and hospitalized in the ophthalmology ward between August 2011 and August 2012.

RESULTS: Ninety eight patients were included. Most were male and they were mainly between 20-39 years old. Most were Eritreans. Nearly half of all referrals were due to traumatic causes, with blunt trauma (42.2%) and foreign body (40%) being the most common cause, many due to work-related injuries.

DISCUSSION: This study emphasizes the unique medical situation of this displaced population and raises the need for proper prevention and education which may reduce the number of hospital referrals in this population.