Good VA means good stereopsis in children

Postoperative visual acuity (VA) is the factor with the most significant impact on stereopsis in paediatric unilateral pseudophakic subjects, according to study results published online ahead of print by the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Seung-Hyun Kim of Korea University College of Medicine, Republic of Korea and David A. Plager of Indiana University Medical Center, United States conducted a retrospective chart review of paediatric subjects undergoing unilateral cataract extraction and primary IOL implantation (n=38). Subjects were split into two groups: Group 1 subjects (n=21; stereopsis >400 seconds of arc) had a mean age of 4.9 years at presentation and 6.3 at surgery; Group 2 subjects (n=17; stereopsis <400 seconds of arc) had a mean age of 2.7 years at presentation and 3.0 at surgery. Dr Kim and Dr Plager collected data on refractive error, anisometropia, bilateral best corrected visual acuity and stereoacuity to evaluate which factors most influence stereopsis.

The data collected showed that 66.7% of Group 1 subjects and 47.1% of Group 2 subjects had no strabismus either before or after surgery. VA of 20/40 or better was achieved by 52.0% of Group 1 subjects and 5.9% of Group 2 subjects. Following multivariate regression analysis, the researchers found that subjects were significantly less likely to have good stereopsis if the VA of the pseudophakic eye was 20/60 or worse.

The researchers concluded that the factors most likely to lead to good stereopsis include later manifestation of cataract, no strabismus and achievement of good postoperative VA (≥20/40), the last of these being the most significant factor.