[Causes of blindness and disability pensions in the eastern metropolitan area of Santiago].

Between June 1983 and September 1987, 2799 disability pensions were given in the East Santiago Area, population 676,269. Of them, 222 (7.9%) were due to ophthalmological causes. Blindness as defined by the WHO was present in 57 cases. It was caused by myopia (33%), glaucoma (21%), diabetic retinopathy (9.8%), retinal detachment, cataract and optic atrophy (5.2%) and ocular trauma (3.5%).