Session: Free papers Session II - Diagnostics & Amblyopia

ORTHOPHTALMO2 study : 2-year outcome of a cohort who underwent visual screening in three-years-old according to recommendations from the French Association for Paediatric-Ophthalmology and Strabismus

Léopoldine LEQUEUX¹, Olivier NORBERT¹, Dominique THOUVENIN¹, Christelle BONIFAS¹, Isabel DEBOUTTE¹, Anne ALBY¹, Justine HUYGENS¹, Célia BONTRON¹, Camille BROVELLI¹, Léa MARTINEZ¹, Caroline PEY¹

¹Ophtalmologie Rive Gauche - Clinique Rive Gauche, Toulouse, France

Introduction

The French Association for Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (AFSOP) recommends systematic visual screening for amblyopia and risk factors for amblyopia in 3-year-olds. This protocol uses visual acuity, photoscreening refraction and cover test examination performed by an orthoptist. Patient referral to an ophthalmologist is only according to specific criteria. The effectiveness and feasibility of the AFSOP screening protocol as well as the recommended criteria for referral to an ophthalmologist were validated by The ORTHOPHTALMO1 study. The diagnostic parameters found in this study were 90% for sensitivity and 89% for specificity. The ORTHOPHTALMO2 study describes the evolution of the cohort 2 years after the initial examination.

Material and Methods

The 300 patients in the ORTHOPHTALMO1 cohort were asked to undergo a visual check-up from the 5th year of life. Data from this check-up were collected from 173 patients. 68 children (group 1) had a normal initial examination at 3-years-old and we mainly looked for the occurrence of a visual disorder. 105 children (group 2) had a visual abnormality at 3-years-old, of whom 62 (group 2A) had a visual problem without amblyopia (strabismus or refraction disorder) and 43 (group 2B) had amblyopia (mean difference 3.4 lines). In this group, we were interested in the evolution of visual acuity.

Results

6 children in group 1 (9%) had an isolated refractive anomaly, with no amblyopia. In group 2A, no amblyopia appeared. In group 2B with amblyopia, visual acuity improved by 3 lines on average after wearing optical correction alone in 12 cases or combined with amblyopia treatment in 29 cases.

Conclusion

The absence of cases of late-onset amblyopia and the good results of amblyopia management in this cohort study confirm the relevance of the age chosen in the AFSOP recommendations and the value of carrying out systematic visual screening in 3-year-olds.