Abstract
Taiwan is commonly noted for its high prevalence of myopia, as well as a long history of more than 20 years of using atropine to control myopia. However, the clinical implications are rarely discussed. This is a cross-sectional study investigating the influence of topical atropine instillation on ocular physiology, visual function, and visual discomfort in children. Aged 7 to 12 years, 212 schoolchildren were recruited and divided into the atropine group and the non-atropine group. Physiological characteristics such as pupil size and intraocular pressure were measured, and a variety of visual functions was also evaluated. A questionnaire was used to investigate the side effects and visual complaints caused by atropine treatment. There was a significant difference in pupil size (OD: 5.40 ± 0.90 vs. 6.60 ± 1.01 mm; OS: 5.42 ± 0.87 vs. 6.64 ± 1.00 mm, p < 0.001) between the two groups. Reductions in near visual acuity, accommodation, convergence ability, and stereopsis were observed in the atropine group. The horizontal pupil diameter enlarged, and visual functions were greatly affected after administration of topical atropine. The changes in visual function during atropine therapy need to be carefully monitored by clinicians, while patient compliance is usually the key to success.
Highlights
Myopia and high myopia influenced 27% (1893 million) and 2.8% (170 million) of the world population in 2015, respectively
The control group consisted of 113 children who had never used atropine, and there were 99 children in the atropine group who had taken regular atropine medications for a consecutive 6 months
There were no significant differences between the atropine group and their controls in age, height, and intra-ocular pressure
Summary
Myopia and high myopia influenced 27% (1893 million) and 2.8% (170 million) of the world population in 2015, respectively. It is alarming that over half of the world’s population will be affected by myopia by 2050, in the younger population [1]. High myopia brings further vision challenges as it increases the risk of developing sight-threatening pathological conditions, such as glaucoma, retinal detachment, chorio-retinal atrophy, and lacquer cracks, which may result in irreversible visual impairments. Recent studies reported that more than 15% of Asian high school students had high myopia (>6 diopters), which increases the risk of future pathological consequences of myopia [7,8]. The detection and treatment of myopic pathogenesis complications should be warranted in the population of high myopia, and is required to prevent the onset or progression of myopia in younger generations
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