Part-time Patch Therapy for Treatment of Intermittent Exotropia

A Randomized Clinical Trial of Part-time Patching Therapy on Improvement of Deviation Control in 3 to 8 Year-old Children With Intermittent Exotropia

Intermittent exotropia is the most common type of exotropia in children. Treatment options are surgical and non surgical. Nonsurgical management include Correction of refractive errors, Active orthoptic treatments, Prisms and Occlusion therapy. Benefits of patch therapy are limiting suppression, reducing the frequency and amplitude of the deviation, changing the nature of the deviation (from constant to intermittent exotropia or from intermittent exotropia to exophoria), however, there is a concern that occlusion of the eyes may cause fusion failure and worsen deviation control. According to a few number of studies and controversy among the results of investigations, the investigators designed this randomized clinical trial study to determine the effect of partial patch therapy on the deviation control of children with intermittent exotropia.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Intermittent distance exotropia or constant distance exotropia at least 15Δ and intermittent near exotropia or exophoria

Exclusion Criteria:

• No child's cooperation in evaluation of deviation control and regular visits for follow-up examinations
• Anisometropia more than 1.50 D, hypermetropia more than 3.50 D, and myopia more than 4.50 D on cyclorefraction
• History of previous treatments including eye occlusion, minus therapy, and strabismus surgery
• Any eye and systemic diseases other than strabismus including neurologic diseases and developmental delay.