A Biometric Comparison Between Myopic and Non-myopic Eyes Treated for Retinopathy of Prematurity

TL;DR

This study compares eye measurements in children treated for retinopathy of prematurity and finds that myopic children in this group have unique biometric features compared to those without a history of the condition.

Contribution

The study identifies distinct biometric differences in myopic children with a history of ROP treatment compared to myopic children without such a history.

Findings

Myopic children with ROP treatment have shorter axial lengths, shallower anterior chambers, thicker lenses, and steeper corneas compared to controls.

Changes in refractive error in non-myopic ROP-treated children are mainly due to axial length changes, not anterior segment changes.

High myopia incidence is significantly higher in the laser-treated ROP group compared to the IVB-treated group.

Abstract

This study aims to assess the biometric alterations contributing to myopia in children who have undergone treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) and compare these changes with those observed in full-term myopic children.

Children who had undergone ROP treatment were recruited and classified according to their treatment methods. An age-matched group of myopic patients with no history of ROP treatment was also included. Complete perinatal history was collected, and a comprehensive ophthalmic examination, including cycloplegic refraction, was conducted. The biometric data of children in each study group were gathered using the IOL Master and Pentacam.

The study recruited 14 patients in the intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) group, 17 patients in the laser-treated group, and 13 individuals in the control group. There was no significant difference between the two patient groups regarding gestational age, birth weight, and age. In the IVB group, 50% of patients were myopic, compared to 52.9% in the laser-treated group. The incidence of high myopia was significantly higher in the laser-treated group (P

<
0.001). In the non-myopic group, changes in refractive error were solely related to changes in axial length (P = 0.003). However, in the myopic group, changes in refractive error were significantly associated with changes in anterior chamber depth (P

<
0.001), lens thickness (P

<
0.001), and axial length (P = 0.018). Furthermore, myopic children in the ROP group had significantly shorter axial lengths, shallower anterior chambers, thicker lenses, and steeper corneas compared to the control group (all P

<
0.001).

Eyes with a history of ROP treatment, whether myopic or non-myopic, should be considered distinct entities. In patients who have undergone ROP treatment and have not developed myopia, changes in refractive error are primarily influenced by alterations in axial length, rather than changes in the anterior segment. Furthermore, children with myopia and a history of treatment for ROP (either IVB or laser) exhibit different biometric changes compared to myopic children without a history of ROP treatment, further underscoring their unique characteristics.