Aims-To test the eVectiveness of a PC computer program for detecting vision disorders which could be used by nontrained personnel, and to determine the prevalence of visual impairment in a sample population of preschool children in the city of Beer-Sheba, Israel. Methods-292 preschool children, aged 4-6 years, were examined in the kindergarten setting, using the computer system and "gold standard" tests. Visual acuity and stereopsis were tested and compared using Snellen type symbol charts and random dot stereograms respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and kappa test were evaluated. A computer pseudo Worth four dot test was also performed but could not be compared with the standard Worth four dot test owing to the inability of many children to count. Results-Agreement between computer and gold standard tests was 83% and 97.3% for visual acuity and stereopsis respectively. The sensitivity of the computer stereogram was only 50%, but it had a specificity of 98.9%, whereas the sensitivity and specificity of the visual acuity test were 81.5% and 83% respectively. The positive predictive value of both tests was about 63%. 27.7% of children tested had a visual acuity of 6/12 or less and stereopsis was absent in 28% using standard tests. Impairment of fusion was found in 5% of children using the computer pseudo Worth four dot test. Conclusions-The computer program was found to be stimulating, rapid, and easy to perform. The wide availability of computers in schools and at home allow it to be used as an additional screening tool by non-trained personnel, such as teachers and parents, but it is not a replacement for standard testing. (Br J Ophthalmol 1998;82:415-418)

SUMMARY Two patients who had previously undergone uneventful operations for strabismus showed healing of corneal dellen and erosion after withdrawal of colchicine therapy. It is suggested that the exhibition of colchicine therapy for familial Mediterranean fever in these two cases was responsible for initial persistence of these two postoperative complications.The occurrence of corneal dellen is not uncommon after rectus muscle surgery, especially with the limbal approach (Tessler and Urist, 1975 Patching and chloramphenicol ointment were tried for 2 days without effect. The boy continued as an outpatient, receiving only chloramphenicol ointment twice daily. At 4 weeks after operation no change was seen in the dellen. Treatment was

No abstract

Abstract. Six patients undergoing bilateral symmetric strabismus surgery were enrolled in this study. For each subject, incisions were closed with Vicryl in one eye and glue in the other. The conjunctival closure with the Vicryl suture resulted in increased discomfort and inflammation during the early postoperative period compared with fibrin glue. However, the difference between the Vicryl and the glue disappeared after 14 days. [Ophthalmic Surg Lasers 1996;27:967.]

Conventional surgical management of surgically undercorrected esotropia includes bilateral lateral rectus resection, marginal myotomy, and Faden operation. During a 3-year period, 10 patients with surgically undercorrected esotropia had medial rectus re-recession 13.5 mm from the limbus. Successful binocular realignment (to 10 prism diopters or less residual binocular misalignment) was achieved in 9 of the 10 cases for both near and distance measurements.