Factors influencing stereoacuity in refractive accommodative esotropia

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate factors that promote binocular sensory function in patients with refractive accommodative esotropia (RAE) who have successful optical alignment. METHODS: Charts of 64 patients with RAE were retrospectively reviewed. Clinical factors examined included onset age of RAE, duration of misalignment, history of misalignment in family members, amblyopia, amblyopia treatment, refractive error, anisometropia, ocular movement disorders, visual acuity level, and the presence of intermittent or constant misalignment after optical correction of the hyperopic refractive error. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients (50%) were able to see test figures on any plates of TNO test and were considered to have stereoscopic vision. Intermittent or constant misalignment detected at any visit was found to affect stereoacuity adversely in patients with RAE. INTERPRETATION: Despite successful opitical alignment, as many as 50% of patients with RAE had anomalous binocular sensory function. An intermittent or constant eye misalignment poses a risk for anomalous binocular vision. These finding could promote prompt and appropriate optical corrections in order to minimize the adverse effects of intermittent or constant eye misalignment on binocular sensory function in patients with RAE.