The Brückner test: evaluation of clinical usefulness.

A quick and simple clinical test for detection of strabismus was evaluated for three groups of subjects. The test reliably detected the strabismic eye in the first group of strabismic subjects when observers discriminated between brightness of the right and left fundus reflex. The test reliably detected strabismus in the second group of strabismic subjects when observers decided if brightness of the fundus reflexes were equal or unequal. However, the Brückner test yielded false positives when it indicated strabismus in the third group of nonstrabismic subjects. The Brückner test is recommended only as an adjunct to testing for use by professionals, but not as a single test for strabismus detection by lay screeners.