Spectrum of Ocular Abnormalities in Cerebral Palsy Patients: A Cross-sectional Study

Purpose: To evaluate the prevalence and spectrum of ocular abnormalities in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and to correlate the ocular findings with CP subtypes and neuroimaging changes. Materials and Methods: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted on 30 clinically diagnosed CP patients. Comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation, including visual acuity, refraction, ocular motility, slit-lamp, and fundus examination, was performed. Neuroimaging findings were correlated. Results: Ocular abnormalities were seen in 73.3% of cases. Strabismus and refractive error was the most common (56.7% each). Nystagmus (30%), microphthalmos (20%), and optic disc pallor (10%) were also observed. Periventricular leukomalacia (23.3%) was the predominant neuroimaging finding. Astigmatism reported to be the most common refractive error which showed a statistically significant correlation with CP subtype ( P = 0.048). Conclusion: Ocular abnormalities are frequent in CP and correlate with neurological severity. Early ophthalmic screening aids in optimizing the visual potential and developmental outcomes.