The Role of Dynamic Retinoscopy in Predicting Infantile Accommodative Esotropia and Influencing Emmetropization

To investigate the role that dynamic retinoscopy can play in reducing the occurrence of infantile accommodative esotropia and facilitating emmetropization in infants with high hyperopia.

211 orthotropic infants under 1 year of age (3.5 to 12 months) identified as having ≥5 diopters of hyperopia in their more hyperopic eye on a routine eye exam. On enrollment, infants underwent an assessment of accommodation using dynamic retinoscopy as well as a cycloplegic refraction. Infants who showed normal accommodation were followed without spectacles. If dynamic retinoscopy showed subnormal accommodation, partial hyperopic correction that allowed for full binocular accommodative responses at near were prescribed. Main outcome measures were the occurrence of esotropia, changes in refractive error, and visual acuity.

Of the 211 infants enrolled, 146 showed normal accommodation and were followed without glasses (Group 1). None of these patients developed strabismus. Sixty-five patients showed subnormal accommodation and received partial hyperopic correction (Group 2). Thirty-four of the 65 (52%) in Group 2 did not develop strabismus (Group 2A) and 31 of the 65 (48%) developed strabismus (Group 2B). All 3 groups showed a reduction of hyperopia of 0.37D ± 0.25/year, 0.50D ± 0.28/year, and 0.60D ± 0.20/year in groups 1, 2A, and 2B, respectively. None of the differences between groups were statistically significant.

Normal accommodation on dynamic retinoscopy in orthotropic hyperopic infants is a predictor of continued good alignment and such infants can be followed without spectacles. Partial spectacle correction based on dynamic retinoscopy may have a beneficial effect on reducing the development of strabismus without impeding emmetropization. Early binocular accommodative behavior seems to be predictive of infants at risk of developing strabismus.