The Danish Rural Eye Study: prevalence of strabismus among 3785 Danish adults – a population-based cross-sectional study

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Danish Rural Eye Study

T2 - prevalence of strabismus among 3785 Danish adults – a population-based cross-sectional study

AU - Hultman, Oscar

AU - Beth Høeg, Tracy

AU - Munch, Inger Christine

AU - Ellervik, Christina

AU - la Cour, Morten

AU - Andersson Grönlund, Marita

AU - Buch Hesgaard, Helena

PY - 2019/12/1

Y1 - 2019/12/1

N2 - Purpose: To determine the prevalence of strabismus among Danish adults and to find the frequency of history of strabismus and strabismus surgery. Furthermore, to evaluate the prevalence of strabismus-associated amblyopia among participants with strabismus and to relate the results to the current national vision screening programme. Methods: In total, 3785 adults in the Danish Rural Eye Study underwent an interview regarding eye health, visual acuity measurement, Hirschberg test and retinal photography. Participants were categorized into groups based on their birth date in relation to the introduction of the national vision screening programme. Results: In total, the prevalence of strabismus was 1.1% (41/3785; 95% CI: 0.8–1.5); no differences were found in relation to gender or screening status. The prevalence of exotropia (XT) was 0.3% (12/3785; 95% CI: 0.2–0.6) and of esotropia (ET) 0.8% (29/3785; 95% CI: 0.5–1.1), resulting in an XT:ET ratio of 1:2.7. A history of strabismus was present in 4.6% (174/3785; 95% CI: 4.0–5.3), and a history of strabismus surgery was present in 0.8% (32/3785; 95% CI: 0.6–1.2) of the participants. Among participants with manifest strabismus, 24% had strabismus-associated amblyopia. Conclusion: In this first European population-based study of strabismus prevalence in adults, the prevalence was similar to three out of five previous studies using cover test. The use of Hirschberg test may have led to an underestimation of the true prevalence. The prevalence was neither related to screening status nor gender. Our results are the first to display a predominance of ET among Caucasian Scandinavian adults.

AB - Purpose: To determine the prevalence of strabismus among Danish adults and to find the frequency of history of strabismus and strabismus surgery. Furthermore, to evaluate the prevalence of strabismus-associated amblyopia among participants with strabismus and to relate the results to the current national vision screening programme. Methods: In total, 3785 adults in the Danish Rural Eye Study underwent an interview regarding eye health, visual acuity measurement, Hirschberg test and retinal photography. Participants were categorized into groups based on their birth date in relation to the introduction of the national vision screening programme. Results: In total, the prevalence of strabismus was 1.1% (41/3785; 95% CI: 0.8–1.5); no differences were found in relation to gender or screening status. The prevalence of exotropia (XT) was 0.3% (12/3785; 95% CI: 0.2–0.6) and of esotropia (ET) 0.8% (29/3785; 95% CI: 0.5–1.1), resulting in an XT:ET ratio of 1:2.7. A history of strabismus was present in 4.6% (174/3785; 95% CI: 4.0–5.3), and a history of strabismus surgery was present in 0.8% (32/3785; 95% CI: 0.6–1.2) of the participants. Among participants with manifest strabismus, 24% had strabismus-associated amblyopia. Conclusion: In this first European population-based study of strabismus prevalence in adults, the prevalence was similar to three out of five previous studies using cover test. The use of Hirschberg test may have led to an underestimation of the true prevalence. The prevalence was neither related to screening status nor gender. Our results are the first to display a predominance of ET among Caucasian Scandinavian adults.

KW - adults

KW - esotropia

KW - exotropia

KW - heterotropia

KW - population-based

KW - prevalence

KW - strabismus

KW - strabismus screening

KW - vision screening

U2 - 10.1111/aos.14112

DO - 10.1111/aos.14112

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31025814

AN - SCOPUS:85064824608

SN - 1755-375X

JO - Acta Ophthalmologica

JF - Acta Ophthalmologica

ER -