The prevalence of heterophoria among the schoolchildren with different clinical refractive errors

This article presents the results of the study that involved153 schoolchildren at the age from 8 to 16 (mean 10,5) years presenting with different forms of phoria. The ophthalmological examination included thein-depth investigation of phorias. The study has demonstrated the predominance of exophoriaassociated with emmetropia, mild hypermetropia and myopia. 40% of the patients presented with 1-5 Dptrexophoriaand 8,5% withexophoriaover 5 Dptr. Esophoria was widespread among the myopic children. Specifically, its prevalence among the patientswith mild myopia was estimated to be 39% while it occurred in 35% of the children having moderate myopia. The study revealed the marked influence of the correction with the use of the spectacles on the position of the optical axes in the myopic children manifest as the reduction of exophoria down to the physiological level and the increase in esophoriaby 1-3 Dptr in 92% of the children. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0,01).

exophoria, phoria, myopia, esophoria, orthophoria