This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a response Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hutcheson, K A Articles by Lambert, S R Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hutcheson, K A Articles by Lambert, S R Topic Collections Related Article

Weaning children with accommodative esotropia out of spectacles: a pilot study

¹ Department of Ophthalmology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
² Emory Eye Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Scott Lambert, MD, Emory Eye Center, 1365-B Clifton Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
slamber{at}emory.edu

Background/aim: Many children with accommodative esotropia must continue spectacle use throughout life. This study was undertaken to determine which factors are predictive of successfully weaning children with accommodative esotropia out of spectacles.

Methods: A retrospective review of 10 children with accommodative esotropia, who were gradually weaned from their hyperopic correction, and three age matched controls was performed. The main outcome measure was resolution or non-resolution of esotropia following weaning and eventual discontinuation of spectacles. Secondary outcome measures were final refractive error and the final esotropic or esophoric angle without correction.

Results: Six patients were successfully weaned from spectacles. At the completion of the weaning period one child was orthophoric and the other five children had well controlled esophorias. The other four patients remained spectacle dependent because of persistent esotropia or decreased vision without spectacles. The baseline and final refractive errors were significantly lower in the children successfully weaned from spectacles (p = 0.014). While the children who were successfully weaned from spectacles were older when initially diagnosed with accommodative esotropia (4.6 v 2.5 years), this difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.09).

Conclusion: Some children with accommodative esotropia may be weaned out of spectacles during the grade school years with resolution of their esotropia. It is likely that gradual reduction of the hyperopic correction increases divergence amplitudes, but it is unclear whether this facilitates emmetropisation.

Keywords: accommodative esotropia; emmetropisation; refractive error

Related Article

Interesting idea—prove it!

C S Hoyt
Br. J. Ophthalmol. 2003 87: 1-2. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S R Lambert and M J Lynn Longitudinal changes in the spherical equivalent refractive error of children with accommodative esotropia. Br. J. Ophthalmol., March 1, 2006; 90(3): 357 - 361. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				Lucina Arch. Dis. Child., February 1, 2004; 89(2): 200 - 200. [Full Text] [PDF]