Visual acuity, residual amblyopia and ocular pathology in a screened population of 12-13-year-old children in Sweden.

PURPOSE: To establish the distribution of visual acuity and the prevalence of residual amblyopia and other ocular disorders in a vision-screened population group of 12-13-year-old children.

METHODS

In total 1046 children were examined in a field study in Sweden. The examination included visual acuity, stereopsis, cover testing, red reflex, refractive retinoscopy and examination of the posterior pole. In selected cases VEP was also performed.

RESULTS

Visual acuity > or =1.0 in at least one eye was present in 98% of cases. Residual amblyopia (< or =0.5) was found in 1.1% of the population. Manifest strabismus was found in 2.7%. There were only a small number of ocular opacities and posterior pole abnormalities. Ocular albinism was found in 7 cases. In 15 children the cause of subnormal VA was unexplained.

CONCLUSION

Results for visual acuity, residual amblyopia and other ocular disorders are very similar to previous Nordic, vision-screened populations.