Visual outcomes after spectacles treatment in children with bilateral high refractive amblyopia

Evaluation and application of a Chinese version symptom questionnaire for visual dysfunctions (CSQVD) in school-age children

Objective

To develop and evaluate a Chinese version of the Symptom Questionnaire for Visual Dysfunctions (CSQVD) to quantify visual dysfunction symptoms in school-age children with various eye diseases, and to explore the relationship between ophthalmological disorders and visual dysfunction symptoms.

Methods

Following standard scale adaptation procedures, the Symptom Questionnaire for Visual Dysfunctions (SQVD) was translated into Chinese (CSQVD). We employed random sampling to survey 198 outpatients aged 7-18 to assess the psychometric properties of the CSQVD. Using the reliable and validated questionnaire, we evaluated the determinants of visual dysfunction symptoms among 406 school-age patients at an eye center. The CSQVD scores were correlated with demographic and clinical variables, including gender, age, eye position, refractive power, and best-corrected visual acuity. Univariate analysis identified potential risk factors, followed by binary logistic regression and multiple linear regression analysis on factors with a P-value <0.05.

Results

The CSQVD scale's critical ratio (CR) values ranged from 6.028 to 10.604. The Cronbach's Alpha coefficient was 0.779, and Spearman-Brown split-half reliability was also 0.779. The I-CVI varied from 0.83 to 1.000, the S-CVI/Ave was 0.857, and the KMO value was 0.821. Multifactorial regression analysis indicated that high myopia (OR ​= ​5.744, 95% CI [1.632, 20.218], P ​= ​0.006) and amblyopia (OR ​= ​9.302, 95% CI [1.878, 46.058], P ​= ​0.006) were significant predictors of CSQVD symptoms. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that BCVA of amblyopic eyes (B ​= ​-5.052, 95% CI [-7.779, 2.325], P ​= ​0.000) and SE power (B ​= ​-0.234, 95% CI [-0.375, 0.205], P ​= ​0.001) significantly affected the CSQVD scale scores.

Conclusions

The Chinese version of the SQVD scale (CSQVD) demonstrates good feasibility, discriminatory power, validity, and reliability in assessing Chinese school-aged children. Furthermore, those who have severe myopia and amblyopia reported more visual dysfunction symptoms.

Choroidal thickness and vascular microstructure parameters in Chinese school-age children with high using optical coherence tomography

BACKGROUND

The current study was to evaluate the choroidal thickness (CT) and vascular microstructure parameters in Chinese children with high hyperopia through enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT).

METHODS

Cross-sectional study. A total of 23 children with high hyperopia and 29 children with normal refractive status were retrospectively enrolled in the study. The measurement of the macular CT, 7 points: the sub-foveal area point, the temporal and nasal points at a radius of 0.5-mm, 1.5-mm, and 3-mm were measured. After binarization of the OCT images, the total choroidal area (TCA), stromal area (SA) as well as the luminal area (LA) were identified and measured. The choroidal vascularity index (CVI) was defined as the ratio of LA to TCA. The independent t-test for normal distributions and Kruskal-Wallis tests for non-normal distributions were used to compare other parameters between groups. The Tamhane's T2 test was performed to adjust for multiple comparisons between groups within each analysis.

RESULTS

The subfoveal CT (SFCT) in the high hypermetropic group was significantly thicker than that in normal controls (309.22 ± 53.14 μm vs. 291.27 ± 38.27 μm; P = 0.019). At 0.5 mm, 1.5 mm, and 3.0 mm in diameter, the nasal choroidal sectors of the high hyperopia eyes were significantly thicker than that of the control (P < 0.05). There was significant difference in the choroidal vascular parameters. TCA and LA in the high hyperopia eyes was significantly larger than that of the normal control eyes (3078129.54 ± 448271.18 μm² vs. 2765218.17 ± 317827.19 μm², 1926819.54 ± 229817.56 μm² vs. 1748817.18 ± 191827.98 μm²; P = 0.009, P = 0.011; Table 2). SA values were 1086287.55 ± 212712.11 um² in the high hyperopia eyes and 999712.71 ± 209838.12 μm² in the control eyes. The CVI and LA/SA ratio values were differed significantly in the two groups (P = 0.019, P = 0.030, respectively). AL was significantly correlated with SFCT (r = -0.325, P = 0.047), but not significantly correlated with other parameters. Spherical equivalent (SE) was significantly correlated with AL and SFCT (r = -0.711, r = 0.311; P = 0.001, P = 0.016), whereas no significant association between sphere and other parameters.

CONCLUSION

The choroidal structure of the high hyperopia eyes was different from the normal control eyes. The thicker SFCT, higher LA, and TCA were characteristic of high hyperopia eyes. Choroidal blood flow may be decreased in amblyopic eyes. SFCT of high hyperopia children abnormally increased and correlated with shorter AL and higher SE. AL and SE affect choroidal structure and vascular density.

Effects of Vision Therapy on Bilateral Amblyopia Unresponsive to Conventional Treatment: A Retrospective Comparative Study

Background: In this study we aim to determines the effect of our vision therapy program for 7- to 10-year-old patients who exhibit bilateral amblyopia that is no longer responsive to conventional treatment. Methods: Children with bilateral amblyopia between the ages of 7 and 10 treated with vision therapy at the China Medical University Hospital between 2016 and 2019 were retrospectively reviewed. Age and visual acuity-matched bilateral amblyopes are included as a control group. The visual acuity for both groups showed no improvement for more than 3 months with part-time patching and full refraction correction. The initial and final visual acuity, stereopsis, and refractive status were analyzed. Results: Here, 15 cases were included as the treatment group and 16 cases as a control group. At the endpoint, the study group shows a significant improvement in BCVA, with a mean of 0.32 ± 0.15 logMAR (3 lines improvement) versus 0.003 ± 0.19 logMAR (nearly no improvement) for the control group (p < 0.001). The benefits of treatment are most obvious in the first 3 months after treatment (p < 0.001) and last until the end point. Stereoacuity also improves from 190.00 ± 163.34 to 85.00 ± 61.24 arc seconds, which is a 55.26% improvement. Conclusions: Vision therapy, comprising orthoptic therapy, perceptual learning and dichoptic training, is a successful program for increasing visual acuity and stereoacuity in 7- to 10-year-old children with bilateral amblyopia that is unresponsive to conventional treatment.

Correlation between higher-order aberrations and visual acuity recovery (CoHORT) after spectacles treatment for pediatric refractive amblyopia: A pilot study using iDesign measurement

Purpose

To determine the correlation between higher-order aberrations (HOAs) and best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) recovery speed after spectacles treatment using iDesign measurements in refractive amblyopic children.

Methods

This is a prospective case series. Children aged from 3 to 7 years with refractive amblyopia (Landolt C equivalent < 0.8) were recruited. All participants were followed for at least 6 months after full correction of the refraction error by spectacles. The HOAs were measured using iDesign before and after cycloplegia at first visit and at 3-month intervals. Then correlation between BCVA recovery after treatment for 6 months and HOAs was determined.

Results

We analyzed 24 eyes of 12 children (mean age, 4.5 years). Baseline mean BCVA was logarithm of minimal angle of resolution (logMAR) 0.335 (Landolt C equivalent 0.46), which improved to logMAR 0.193 (Landolt C equivalent 0.64) after treatment with full-correction spectacles for 6 months. The amblyopic eye BCVA recovery was negatively correlated with tetrafoil with/without cycloplegia (P = 0.006 and 0.022, respectively) and trefoil with cycloplegia (P = 0.049).

Conclusions

trefoil and tetrafoil measured with iDesign negatively correlates with the BCVA recovery speed of refractive amblyopic eyes after spectacles treatment in this pilot study. The current study results may aid in further investigation for diagnosis and treatment of refractory refractive and idiopathic amblyopia.

Refractive outcomes comparing primary laser to primary bevacizumab with delayed laser for type 1 ROP

PURPOSE

To compare the refractive outcomes of intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) and delayed peripheral retinal photocoagulation (PRP) with primary PRP in infants treated for posterior type 1 ROP.

METHODS

The medical records of 87 infants at a tertiary referral center treated for posterior type 1 ROP between 2006 and 2016 were reviewed retrospectively. Consecutive infants received primary PRP before and primary IVB after a change in treatment practice implemented in early 2011. In most cases primary IVB was supplemented with prophylactic laser treatment after 60 weeks' PMA (IVB-PRP). The main outcome was spherical equivalent (SE) in diopters, determined by cycloplegic refraction between 2 and 4 years. Infants treated with IVB-PRP were also compared to the those who received only IVB as monotherapy.

RESULTS

The final analysis included 34 eyes of 19 infants in the primary PRP group and 40 eyes of 21 infants in the IVB-PRP group. Mean SE was -7.4 ± 5.2 D in the primary PRP group and -0.16 ± 2.2 D in the IVB-PRP group (P < 0.001). This relationship persisted after stratification by zone of ROP and the presence of aggressive posterior ROP. There was no statistically significant difference in mean SE between the IVB-PRP group and the 8 eyes of 4 infants who received IVB as monotherapy. Of 46 infants who received primary IVB, 37 completed an examination under anesthesia after 60 weeks' PMA. In these patients, 70% of eyes showed peripheral vascular leakage on fluorescein angiography.

CONCLUSIONS

In our study cohort, infants treated with IVB-PRP were significantly less myopic than those treated with primary PRP. Delayed laser after 60 weeks' PMA, in hopes of reducing the risk of late reactivation with retinal detachment, did not negate the refractive benefits of primary IVB.

Optical treatment of amblyopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Despite evidence that amblyopia can often be treated by optical treatment alone, many practitioners still do not use an optical-correction-only phase in amblyopia treatment and some investigators omit this important step in their research. This paper aims to systematically review the evidence for the optical treatment of strabismic, refractive and combined-mechanism amblyopia and to quantify the evidence via a meta-analysis.

METHODS

A search of online databases MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycInfo, the Cochrane Library, and bibliographies of review papers, along with subsequent personal communication, resulted in 29 papers that met our inclusion criteria, with 20 providing sufficient data for the calculation of effect sizes. A meta-analysis was performed to determine effect sizes and the heterogeneity thereof. Meta-regression was used to evaluate the contribution of the possible moderating factors of age, duration of optical correction, and initial visual acuity to the heterogeneity of the studies. In addition, effect sizes were analysed in subgroups based on amblyopia aetiology, that is refractive or strabismic or combined, and also in the fellow eyes.

RESULTS

No evidence of publication bias in the included studies was found using a Galbraith plot. Optical treatment of amblyopia resulted in a large positive effect size of 1.07 (±0.49, 95 per cent confidence limits) on visual acuity, although the heterogeneity was significant (Q = 597.05, I² = 96.65 per cent, p < 0.0001). Meta-regression indicated that effect sizes significantly decreased with age, increased with treatment duration, and that better initial acuity was associated with higher effect sizes.

CONCLUSION

Effect sizes were always moderate to large, whether participants were younger or older children, or whether the aetiology was refractive or strabismic. Thus, optical treatment of amblyopia should be considered prior to other treatment in those with refractive error. Improved acuity before initiating other treatment would presumably make occlusion or penalisation less onerous and may improve compliance with further treatment.