title: Optical devices in highly myopic eyes with low vision: a prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare, in relation to the cause of visual impairment, the possibility of rehabilitation, the corrective systems already in use and the finally prescribed optical devices in highly myopic patients with low vision. Some considerations about the rehabilitation of these subjects, especially in relation to their different pathologies, have also been made.
  
  
  METHODS
  25 highly myopic subjects were enrolled. We evaluated both visual acuity and retinal sensitivity by Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscope (SLO) microperimetry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  20 patients (80%) were rehabilitated by means of monocular optical devices while five patients (20%) were rehabilitated binocularly. We found a good correlation between visual acuity and retinal sensitivity only when the macular pathology did not induce large areas of chorioretinal atrophy that cause lack of stabilization of the preferential retinal locus. In fact, the best results in reading and performing daily visual tasks were obtained by maximizing the residual vision in patients with retinal sensitivity greater than 10 dB. A well circumscribed area of absolute scotoma with a defined new retinal fixation locus could be considered as a positive predictive factor for the final rehabilitation process.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A more careful evaluation of visual acuity, retinal sensitivity and preferential fixation locus is necessary in order to prescribe the best optical devices to patients with low vision, thus reducing the impact of the disability on their daily life.
authors.affiliation: Bietti Eye Foundation IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scassa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cupo
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Iervolino
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Capozzi
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tempesta
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Giusti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007909:Lenses; D008297:Male; D009216:Myopia / Q000150:complications / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015354:Vision, Low / Q000209:etiology / Q000534:rehabilitation*