An Evaluation of the Dot Visual Acuity Test

Abstract

One hundred patients between the ages of 2 and 6 years (24–71 months) were tested with the Dot Visual Acuity Test (Dot Test) as well as the most difficult of several other vision tests that the child could perform. Included in the study were 20 children between the age of 24–35 months and 20 children between the ages of 36–47 months presenting consecutively for routine eye exams.

Of the 100 children tested, 83 could perform the Dot Test. Eighty-five could perform another visual acuity test and 13 could not perform any visual acuity test. If the visual acuities obtained with Allen Figures are excluded, only 63 children could perform a visual acuity test other than the Dot Test. Thus 20% of the children could only be tested by the Dot Test.

In examining the utility of the Dot Test for amblyopia screening, we found a sensitivity of .90 for amblyopia. However, the specificity of the Dot Test to amblyopia was .70, with 13 of 43 nonamblyopic patients being diagnosed as amblyopic by the Dot Test, representing false positives. We feel that the addition of a 20/50 size dot could be very useful in eliminating some of these false positives.

Our experience in this series indicates that the Dot acuity test has a place in the Pediatric Ophthalmology Office.