Abstract
Purpose: To compare the effect of intensive and reduced occlusion therapy regimens on binocular sensory outcomes, visual acuity, and the prevalence of strabismus in children after surgery for congenital unilateral cataract. Methods:Two nonrandomized groups of patients were studied prospectively: (1) an intensive occlusion group (n = 29) patched 80% of waking hours were followed for a median 6.9 years and (2) a reduced occlusion group (n = 8) patched 25% to 50% of waking hours were followed for a median 4.3 years. Six subjects in the intensive group and 4 in the reduced occlusion group had secondary intraocular lenses. Two subjects in the intensive group had epi-keratophakia surgery. Binocular sensory function was assessed with random dot and contour stereoacuity tests and the Worth 4-dot test. The prevalence and age at onset of strabismus were determined from the patients' charts. Results: A higher proportion of subjects in the reduced occlusion group (50%) had stereoacuity or fusion compared with the intensive occlusion group (14%), a borderline significant difference (P=.08). No significant difference (P = .55) was found in median visual acuity between the intensive (20/50) and the reduced occlusion (20/55) groups. The 90% prevalence of strabismus in the intensive occlusion group was slightly higher than the 63% prevalence in the reduced occlusion group, although this difference was not significant (P=.18). Conclusions: These results suggest that a reduced occlusion protocol may be associated with better binocular sensory outcomes and a reduced prevalence of strabismus without compromising good visual acuity in children treated for congenital unilateral cataract.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 209-216 |
Number of pages | 8 |
Journal | Journal of AAPOS |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Aug 2001 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pediatrics, Perinatology, and Child Health
- Ophthalmology