TY - JOUR

T1 - Photosensitivity and filter efficacy in albinism✰

AU - Hansen, Tanja B.

AU - Torner-Jordana, Joaquim

AU - Kessel, Line

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 Spanish General Council of Optometry

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Purpose: To describe the prevalence and severity of photosensitivity in patients with albinism, and to compare with ocular features and how this correlated with use and choice of optical filters. Methods: Cross-sectional study on 81 participants with ocular or oculocutaneous albinism. An ophthalmic evaluation including visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and evaluation of iris translucency and fundus hypopigmentation was performed. Participants were offered optical rehabilitation with testing of a wide panel of filters. The associations between ocular characteristics, subjective photosensitivity complaints, and filter choice were evaluated. Results: Photosensitivity was rated as “some” to “worst imaginable” in 77.8% of participants. Severity of photosensitivity correlated significantly with fundus hypopigmentation (p = 0.04) but not with iris translucency (p = 0.14) and it was worse in those with poor visual acuity but there was no association between photosensitivity and contrast vision. Seventy-four new pairs of spectacles were prescribed in the study. All outdoor spectacles contained a filter, whereas 26.5% of new indoor spectacles did not. Relatively neutral filter colors (gray, brown or a combination of gray and brown with other colors) and low transmission were preferred. Discussion: Photosensitivity is common in albinism, but research targeting treatment is limited. Color and neutral filters with a low light transmission were preferred, with participants having a large number of spectacles, presumably to meet their needs in different situations.

AB - Purpose: To describe the prevalence and severity of photosensitivity in patients with albinism, and to compare with ocular features and how this correlated with use and choice of optical filters. Methods: Cross-sectional study on 81 participants with ocular or oculocutaneous albinism. An ophthalmic evaluation including visual acuity, contrast sensitivity and evaluation of iris translucency and fundus hypopigmentation was performed. Participants were offered optical rehabilitation with testing of a wide panel of filters. The associations between ocular characteristics, subjective photosensitivity complaints, and filter choice were evaluated. Results: Photosensitivity was rated as “some” to “worst imaginable” in 77.8% of participants. Severity of photosensitivity correlated significantly with fundus hypopigmentation (p = 0.04) but not with iris translucency (p = 0.14) and it was worse in those with poor visual acuity but there was no association between photosensitivity and contrast vision. Seventy-four new pairs of spectacles were prescribed in the study. All outdoor spectacles contained a filter, whereas 26.5% of new indoor spectacles did not. Relatively neutral filter colors (gray, brown or a combination of gray and brown with other colors) and low transmission were preferred. Discussion: Photosensitivity is common in albinism, but research targeting treatment is limited. Color and neutral filters with a low light transmission were preferred, with participants having a large number of spectacles, presumably to meet their needs in different situations.

KW - Albinism

KW - Filter

KW - Optical rehabilitation

KW - Photosensitivity

U2 - 10.1016/j.optom.2022.07.002

DO - 10.1016/j.optom.2022.07.002

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36028395

AN - SCOPUS:85136488212

VL - 16

SP - 214

EP - 220

JO - Journal of Optometry

JF - Journal of Optometry

SN - 1888-4296

IS - 3

ER -