Low-vision aids improve the visual performance of children with bilateral chorioretinal coloboma

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Vision
• Low Vision Rehabilitation

Background:

• Bilateral chorioretinal coloboma (CRC) is a congenital condition affecting vision.
• Children with CRC often experience significant visual impairment impacting daily tasks.
• The potential benefits of low-vision aids (LVAs) in this population require quantification.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify improvements in distance and near visual performance for children with bilateral CRC using LVAs.
• To assess the impact of specific LVAs on visual acuity, contrast sensitivity, and reading speed.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of telescopic and magnifying aids in pediatric low vision.

Main Methods:

• A hospital-based, cross-sectional, interventional case series involving children with bilateral CRC.
• Data collection included questionnaires and medical record reviews for demographic and clinical information.
• Visual performance was assessed with refractive correction alone and with LVAs (Keplerian telescopes, handheld magnifiers, tinted lenses).

Main Results:

• Six children (median age 11.5 years) participated; 5 were existing LVA users.
• Keplerian telescopes significantly improved distance best-corrected visual acuity (median 0.75 logMAR).
• Near LVAs significantly improved reading acuity (median 0.47 logRAD), critical print size, and reading speed.

Conclusions:

• LVAs provide meaningful visual performance enhancements for children with bilateral CRC.
• The study demonstrates noteworthy increases in distance and near visual acuities with LVA use.
• LVAs facilitate improved reading speeds, even at small print sizes, for affected children.