title: Prevalence of hyperopia and strabismus in a paediatric population with malocclusions.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of hyperopia and strabismus among a paediatric  population with malocclusions.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a total of 322 consecutive patients observed at the  department of Orthodontics and Gnathology, Dental Clinic, University of L'Aquila, 176 were selected for the study according  to the exclusion criteria. Pretreatment diagnostic data, which included radiographic, cephalometric and dental cast  evaluation, were recorded and presence of hyperopia or strabismus was assessed through an ophthalmological  examination. Differences in incidence rates of strabismus or hyperopia by sex and malocclusion were analysed by using the  chi-square (Pearson's chi-square test) and Fisher's exact tests.
  
  
  RESULTS
  According to the sagittal malocclusion, patients  were classified as Class I (122), Class II division 1 (26), Class II Division 2 (9), or Class III (19); after ophthalmological  examination, hyperopia was detected in 8.6% of patients, while strabismus was present in 3.6% of them.  No  gender influence was found for hyperopia, strabismus or malocclusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Few studies investigated a possible  relationship between the ocular and stomatognathic system, and no data are available in the scientific literature; the present  study did not highlight differences in the prevalence of hyperopia or strabismus in the three Angle classes malocclusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of the present study did not suggest a possible association between hyperopia or strabismus  and sagittal malocclusion, but future studies are needed to confirm and explain this observation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gnathology, University of L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Monaco
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spadaro
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sgolastra
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Petrucci
authors.forename: P D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: D'Andrea
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gatto
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D008310:Malocclusion / Q000150:complications*; D057887:Overbite / Q000150:complications; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013285:Strabismus / Q000150:complications*