Long-term effects of monocular myopic anisometropia correction on uncorrected ocular axial length in minors and its influencing factors

Abstract

Introduction/Objective The objective of the paper was to investigate the long-term effects of orthokeratology (ortho-k) correction for monocular myopia and the factors influencing axial length (AL) changes in the untreated eye of minors.

Methods A total of 81 patients with monocular myopia receiving ortho-k lenses for the first time were enrolled. Eyes corrected with ortho-k lenses were designated as the myopic group and contralateral non-myopic eyes formed the non-myopic group. Changes in AL from baseline to follow-up examinations were recorded. Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses were performed sequentially to explore the correlation between baseline parameters and AL changes in the non-myopic eyes.

Results After wearing ortho-k lenses for six and 12 months, the AL of the corrected myopic group was 24.48 ± 0.35 and 24.56 ± 0.31 mm, respectively, whereas that of the uncorrected non-myopic group was 23.55 ± 0.24 and 23.7 ± 0.22 mm, respectively. After six and 12 months, the amount of change in the AL was higher in the uncorrected non-myopic group than in the corrected myopic group (p < 0.001). Moreover, the difference in AL between the two eyes gradually decreased (t = 2.376, p = 0.018); the change in AL difference (-0.10 ± 0.08 vs. -0.18 ± 0.13, p < 0.001) was significant.

Conclusion Orthokeratology lens wear may accelerate myopia progression in contralateral, initially non-myopic eyes. Younger children with monocular myopia and a higher baseline spherical equivalent are likely to experience faster myopia progression in the other, unaffected eye following ortho-k lens correction.

Keywords: orthokeratology; unilateral myopic anisometropia; axial length