S Andersson¹, E Aring¹, B Lindquist², E K Persson3, P Uvebrant3, G Carlsson4, A Hellström¹
¹The Queen Silvia Childrens Hospital, Department of Ophthalmology, Göteborg, Sweden; ²Habilitation Centre, Halmstad, Sweden; 3The Queen Silvia Childrens Hospital, Department of Pediatric, Göteborg, Sweden; 4The Sahlgrenska Academy, Department of Women and Children's Health, Göteborg, Sweden
Purpose: Earlier studies have shown a variety of disturbances in visual function, in children with hydrocephalus. Anatomically, the visual pathways run along the lateral ventricles. Lesions in this region e.g. periventricular leucomalacia are associated with visual perceptual disturbances.
The purpose of this study was to describe the visual function including visual perception in a population based study on children with operated hydrocephalus.
Materials and methods: All children with operated hydrocephalus with or without myelomeningocele born (1989-1993) in the west part of Sweden were invited to the present study (n=92). The children were examined by a multidiciplinary team including pediatric neurologist, ophthalmologist, orthoptist, neuropsychologist and neuroradiologist.
A comprehensive ophthalmological examination including e.g. visual acuity, ortoptic examination and a questionnaire regarding visual perception was performed.
Results: 15% of the children (n=67) were visually impaired (visual acuity <0.3), 31% had a mildly reduced visual acuity (<0.8), and 49% had visual acuity of 0.8 or more. 4% of the included children could not cooperate.
52 % of the children had significant refractive errors.
54% of the children had visual perceptual problems according to the questionnaire. 19% of these children had a visual acuity of 0.8 or higher. The neuropsycholocical data will be presented in relation to the visual functional data.
Conclusion: A large number of the children, in the present study, had a low visual acuity, significant refractive errors and visual perceptual problems. We would like to stress that a normal visual acuity does not role out significant visual problems.
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