In an effort to better automate strabismus evaluations, which are prone to error when done manually, researchers in the United Kingdom used binocular optical coherence tomography (OCT) to measure the size of strabismus, with positive results.

The study included 15 patients with strabismus and 15 controls, and evaluated the findings of both automated anterior segment imaging and alternating prism cover test (APCT). The researchers found OCT imaging “correctly revealed the type and direction of the deviation in all 15 participants with strabismus, including horizontal and vertical deviations,” and the imaging was strongly correlated with the APCT measurement.

APCT results also showed 60% of controls had a latent horizontal deviation and 40% had orthophoria. OCT, however, showed 80% had horizontal deviations and one control participant had a vertical deviation.

“These findings suggest that binocular anterior segment OCT imaging can provide clinicians with a precise measurement of strabismus,” the study said. “The prototype can potentially incorporate several binocular vision tests that will provide quantitative data for the assessment, diagnosis and monitoring of ocular misalignments.”