Does Occlusion Therapy Improve Control in Non-Diplopic Patients with Intermittent Exotropia?

Abstract

The aim of this pilot study is to evaluate the effectiveness of occlusion therapy in the control of intermittent exotropia (IXT) in children between 4 and 10 years in Saudi Arabia. A clinical, prospective cohort pilot study was performed on 21 untreated IXT patients. The deviation angle, amplitudes, stereopsis and control of IXT were evaluated before, during and after occlusion therapy. Using established clinical tests, 11% of the subjects had a decrease in the deviation angle by 50% while 55.5% attained normal ranges for base-out fusional amplitudes and 77% attained success for the control. The results of this limited study suggests that occlusion therapy does not improve the angle of deviation but may improve sensory status and strengthen fusional amplitudes. Occlusion therapy may be a useful method for the postponement of surgery in young children with IXT.