The Clinical Features and the Prognosis of Functional Visual Loss in Children

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical characteristics and prognoses of children with functional visual loss. METHODS: Retrospective medical record review was performed in 53 patients 4 to 16 years of age diagnosed with functional visual loss between April 2006 and February 2014. We investigated the clinical features and results of clinical tests and the final status of the patients. RESULTS: Twenty male (37.8%) and 33 female (62.2%) patients were included in the study. The mean age was 9.69 ± 2.76 years. The incidence was highest between 8 to 12 years. The mean best corrected visual acuity at baseline was 0.43 ± 0.23, and 88.7% of patients had mild to moderate visual loss. The symptoms were bilateral in 96.2% of patients, and the difference of corrected visual acuity between two eyes was 1 line or less on Snellen chart in 94.1% of bilateral cases. The symptoms were resolved by 1.8 ± 1.0 months in 59.5% of patients and resolved by the final follow-up visit in 51 (96.2%). However, the symptoms persisted through the final follow-up in 2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: Most children with functional visual loss have bilateral and mild to moderate visual loss. The prognosis of functional visual loss in children was excellent. Most patients recovered from the disease with reassurance supportive care without psychiatric treatment, although a few patients had persistent symptoms.