SUMMARY
Trachoma has been diagnosed in many brazilian localities, but pre valence studies of this disease are rare in Brazil.
The present investigation in Pal mares, a town in the State of Pernnambuco, showed us that 9.20% of the examined population presented a clinical diagnosis of trachoma. The prevalence of trachomatous follicular inflamation was 7.40% and the prevalence of trachomatous scarring was 1.88%. No trachomatous trichiasis and corneal opacity were presented.
The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by direct fluorescent antibody citology in which 66.66% of the specimens were positive.
Trachoma in the investigated community in Palmares could be considered as a nonblindness disease.