Correction of Low Visual Acuity in Achromatopsia

Abstract

The principal characteristics of achromatopsia are complete color blindness, subnormal vision, and severe photophobia. It is usually a recessive hereditary trait. The visual acuity of 80% of the patients studied ranged from 20/280 to 20/100. The incidence of strong refractive errors ranged from 4.50 to 10.00 D in 38% of the patients. Reading additions of +4.00 to +16.00 D were prescribed in 13 cases, and 94% of the prescriptions were judged to be successful. Severe photophobia was mitigated by lenses that transmit 19% of the visible spectrum. Followup showed that the majority of the children were able to read regular type in a normal educational setting, and none had to resort to reading large type or braille.