Brückner test quick, effective for evaluating vision in children

NEW ORLEANS — The Brückner test is a quick and effective method of pediatric vision screening, according to a speaker here.

Maulik Zaveri, MS, presented the results of a prospective, masked study evaluating the Brückner test as a quick way of detecting low vision in children at the American Academy of Ophthalmology annual meeting.

"The Brückner test was initially described in 1962 as a simple and objective method. It relied on the comparison of brightness in the patterns of transpupillary reflex," Mr. Zaveri said.

"Certainly there are a lot of challenges to doing screening in children, particularly those that are preverbal," he said.

At three centers in Mumbai, India, a pediatric ophthalmologist performed the Brückner test on 4,742 eyes of 2,371 children and, based on the observed pupillary crescent, classified them as ametropic or emmetropic. These classifications were compared with vision testing performed by another examiner, who evaluated the patients' visual acuity.

The patients averaged 8.8 years and ranged from 3 years to 16 years.

The ophthalmologist classified 351 eyes as having hyperopia, myopia or astigmatism using the Brückner test. The test had sensitivity of 88% and specificity of 98%.

Mr. Zaveri noted that the Brückner test is simple, easy to administer and inexpensive.

"The Brückner test has excellent sensitivity and negative predicative value, and we recommend this test for screening programs where ultra-rapid screening is essential," Mr. Zaveri said.