Although extraocular muscle (EOM) surgery is a common treatment option for oculocutaneous albinism, new data suggests it may not be as helpful as previously though. Researchers studied 41 patients with albinism between ages 10 and 13 at the initial visit to record their best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), type of albinism, age at each visit, and interval EOM surgeries. After follow-up between the ages of 17 and 20, they found all but one patient showed BCVA improvement or stability between the two visits—regardless of whether they underwent interval EOM surgery.

“Extraocular muscle surgery was not a significant factor in BCVA improvement in albinism,” the study concludes. “Overall, the assessments support the finding of improvement of visual acuity in children with albinism at earlier ages and provide new information beneficial in predicting visual outcomes in the second decade of life.”