Distance Stereoacuity in Children and Teenagers with Normal near Stereoacuity

Abstract

Introduction:

The Mentor BVAT System has been used over the last several years to measure distance stereoacuity. The purpose of this study was to establish the range of normal distance stereoacuity responses on the BVAT BVS II in a population of children and teenagers with normal near stereoacuity.

Methods:

One hundred and twenty-five patients were enrolled in the study. All patients had a best corrected visual acuity of at least 20/20 in each eye, demonstrated near stereoacuity of 40 arc seconds as measured by the Titmus Stereotest®, and had no tropia on cover testing at distance and near. Distance stereoacuity was measured using the Mentor BVAT II BVS randot E and contour circles.

Results:

The mean stereoacuity for distance randot stereograms was 137 arc seconds (SD ± 87) and for distance contour circles was 50 arc seconds (SD ± 46). There was no correlation of either measure of distance stereoacuity with the patient's age or refractive error. The range of stereoacuity for distance randot stereograms was 30–240 arc seconds and for distance contour circles was 15–240 arc seconds.

Conclusion:

The results of this study help define the normal range of distance stereoacuity present in patients with normal near stereoacuity and no manifest strabismus. This information can be used as a normative database of distance stereoacuity to which future studies can refer.

• distance stereoacuity
• intermittent exotropia