Subnormal Binocular Contrast Sensitivity Summation in Patients with Intermittent Exotropia

Background: To evaluate binocular summation ratio using contrast sensitivity (CS) testing and correlation between binocular summation and stereoacuity, and control scale in intermittent exotropia (IXT).

Methods: We conducted a prospective case-control study. Thirty-seven IXT and 41 controls were evaluated with both monocular and binocular CS testing. We compared the binocular summation ratio of IXT to that of controls. Near and distance stereoacuity was assessed and office-based control scale was evaluated. We investigated correlation between binocular CS summation ratio and stereoacuity, and control scale in IXT, respectively.

Results: IXT had lower binocular CS summation ratio than controls at 1.5 and 3.0 cycles/degree (1.01 ± 1.02 vs. 1.62 ± 1.88 and 1.17 ± 0.96 vs. 1.86 ± 1.75, Both < 0.05). We found significant correlation between binocular CS summation ratio at 3.0 cycles/degree and both near and distance stereoacuity ( = -0.411, = 0.012 and = -0.624, = 0.005), and ratio at 1.5 cycles/degree also correlated significantly with distance stereoacuity ( = -0.397, = 0.034) in the IXT. Binocular CS summation ratio was correlated to control scale at 1.5 and 3.0 cycles/degree ( = -0.327, = 0.041 and = -0.418, = 0.028), and the ratio significantly differed in control scale groupings analysis at the same frequencies (Both < 0.05).

Conclusion: Our findings of subnormal binocular CS summation ratio in IXT had correlation with stereoacuity and control scale suggest that binocular CS testing may be a useful method in assessing binocular visual function in IXT.