Assessment of myopic rebound effect after discontinuation of treatment with 0.01% atropine eye drops in Japanese school-age children.

Abstract

Having previously demonstrated the efficacy of 0.01% atropine eye drops for inhibiting progression of childhood myopia, we conducted additional analyses to assess post-treatment changes in myopia progression. Analysis of follow-up data from a previously reported randomized controlled trial METHODS: A mixed-effects model was used to compare intergroup changes in spherical equivalent (SE) and axial length (AL) at 1month and 12months after discontinuation of 2-year treatment with atropine or placebo in 167 school-age children. Follow-up measurements were available for 149 participants at 1month after discontinuation of treatment and for 51 participants at 12months after discontinuation. At 1month post-treatment, differences between the atropine and placebo groups in least squares (LS) mean changes in SE and AL, respectively, from 24 months were -0.06 diopters (D) (95% CI: -0.21, 0.08; P=.39) and 0.02 mm (95% CI: -0.05, 0.08; P=.60). At 12months post-treatment, intergroup differences (atropine vs placebo) in LS mean changes in SE and AL, respectively, were -0.13 D (95% CI: -0.35, 0.10; P=.26) and -0.02mm (95% CI: -0.12, 0.09; P=.75). LS mean changes in SE and AL from treatment discontinuation did not differ between the groups at 1 or 12months post-treatment. Axial elongation was significantly less in the atropine group than in the placebo group. The suppression effect obtained at 2years was maintained after 12months. The absence of intergroup differences in myopia progression since treatment cessation suggests that myopic rebound did not occur.