A STUDY OF MAGNITUDE OF ANISOMETROPIA AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH AMBLYOPIA IN SCHOOL GOING CHILDREN

BACKGROUND: Visual impairment is a common handicap among school going children. In some, there are signicant interocular differences in refractive error (ANISOMETROPIA), which can be accompanied by an interocular difference in visual acuity that is optically uncorrectable ( AMBLYOPIA). The co-occurrence of these two anomalies with no additional abnormality is ANISOMETROPIC AMBLYOPIA. Present study is aimed to study magnitude ofANISOMETROPICAMBLYOPIAin children. OBJECTIVES: To study the magnitude ofAnisometropia and its association with amblyopia in school going children. To identify amblyopic children and provide suitable treatment. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A cross- sectional study done over a period of 18 months at a tertiary health care center. School going children of age 7-17 years with refractive error were assessed of their refractive status, ocular examination including slit lamp examination and fundoscopy was done. Children with interocular refractive error difference of >0.75 D were labelled as Anisometropic. Children whose best corrected visual acuity difference of both the eyes was more than two lines on Snellen's chart in absence of other organic cause were considered Amblyopic. Prevalence of anisometropia and its relation with amblyopia was determined. Data were analyzed by Chi-square test .Appropriate refractive correction was given. RESULT: Out of 100 ametropic children, 14 were anisometropic. Out of 14 anisometropic children 5 were amblyopic .Association between anisometropia and amblyopia was statistically signicant (p value < 0.05). It was found that as severity of anisometropia increases, predisposition of development of amblyopia also increases. CONCLUSION:Refractive ansiometropia has a considerable prevalence and is a well-known amblyogenic factor in children. Timely intervention should be done to prevent permanent vision loss.