Clinical Findings and Results of Low Vision Devices in Pediatric Patients with Albinism

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To assess clinical features and efficacy of spectacles and low vision devices in pediatric patients with albinism. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed of 15 pediatric patients with albinism for whom glasses and low vision devices had been prescribed to determine subjective satisfaction and objective improvement in visual acuity (VA), strabismus, contrast sensitivity, number of reading letters during 1 minute with refractive correction and low vision devices. RESULTS: The median refractive correction was +0.12 +/- 5.45 diopter (D) spherical equivalent with -0.71 +/- 3.62 D astigmatism. Most patients complained of reading difficulty and photophobia. Hand-held magnifier and Keplerian telescope were commonly prescribed low vision devices. In addition, VA, strabismic deviation, contrast sensitivity and number of reading letters during 1 minute significantly improved after wearing glasses and low vision devices. CONCLUSIONS: The present study showed a significant improvement in corrected VA, alignment and subjective symptoms in pediatric patients with albinism by wearing glasses and low vision devices. Additionally, high compliance can improve final patients' satisfaction through using training of low vision devices.