The influence of part-time occlusion therapy on control of intermittent exotropia: A meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.

Objective To compare the effectiveness of part-time occlusion therapy（PTO） and observation in the treatment of intermittent exotropia(IXT). Methods An exhaustive search of the literature from Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases was carried out until July 2022. No language restrictions were applied. The literature was rigorously screened against eligibility criteria. Weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated. Results A total of 4 articles with 617 participants were included in this meta-analysis. Our pooled results showed that PTO exhibited superior effects compared to observation, with greater decrease in exotropia control at distance and near (MD=-0.38, 95% CI: -0.57 to -0.20, P<0.001; MD=-0.36, 95%CI, -0.54 to -0.18, P<0.001), patients subjected to PTO therapy had greater decrease in distance deviations (MD=-1.95, 95% CI: -3.13 to -0.76, P=0.001). And there was greater improvement in near stereoacuity among PTO group in comparison with observation group (P<0.001). Conclusion The present meta-analysis indicated that part-time occlusion therapy showed a better effect in improving control and near stereopsis, and decreasing distance exodeviation angle of children with intermittent exotropia in comparison with observation.