Refraction in Children: A Comparison Between "Naive" Refraction to the Plusoptix A12 Portable Auto-Refractometer and Refraction at the Fixed Auto-Refractometer in Cycloplegia: About 52 Cases

Abstract

The aim of our work is to compare the values obtained by the last generation portable auto-refractometer PlusoptixA12 without dilation to those provided by an automatic refractometer with cycloplegia: Canon (RK-F2), in children, in order to have an idea about its strengths and limitations. Our work is a Cross-sectional study conducted from June to November 2016, about 52 children (104 eyes), aged from 3 to 16 years. Each child had a measure of refraction with the Plusoptix (without cycloplegy). After that, three instillations of cyclopentolate hydrochloride were carried out (T0, T5, and T10 min). We retake the refraction after 45 minutes using a fixed auto-refractometer. The average spherical equivalent was 1.46 ± 1.10 for refraction with Plusoptix versus 1.94 ± 1.40 for cycloplegic auto-refraction with a statistically significant difference (average difference -0.48D ± 1.06 (P <0.001). The difference between the average spherical refraction was -0.42 ± 1.03; P <0.001). In the hyperopic group, the average difference between the two refractive methods was -0.61 ± 1.03 compared to 0.23 ± 0.59 for myopic patients. For cylinders, the difference of the average power between the two devices was -0.14 ± 0.38 (P <0.001). There was no statistical significance between the two instruments for the cylindrical axis (p: 0.087). In the light of results obtained, the Plusoptix can be used as an interesting method of screening for ametropia. But it is not a precise way for studying refraction in strabic and amblyopic population. Its results are more reliable for the myopic and astigmatic subgroups than hyperopic ones.