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Refractive evaluation in children with growth defect
Fulvio Parentin1, Giorgio Tonini, Paolo Perissutti
1Department of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital Burlo Garofolo, Trieste, Italy. parentin@burlo.trieste.it
Insights
Congenital growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is linked to hyperopic refractive errors and shorter axial length in children. This suggests growth hormone plays a role in eye development and emmetropization.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Endocrinology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Growth hormone (GH) is crucial for postnatal growth, primarily via hepatic IGF-I production.
- Growth factors influence ocular tissues, affecting scleral matrix synthesis and angiogenesis.
- Congenital GH deficiency (GHD) is associated with optic nerve hypoplasia and reduced retinal vascularization.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of congenital GHD on refractive error in children.
- To evaluate the influence of congenital GHD on the emmetropization process.
Main Methods:
- Ophthalmologic examinations, including cycloplegic refraction and axial length measurement, were performed on 80 children with congenital GHD.
- A control group of 483 healthy children was included for comparison.
Main Results:
- Children with congenital GHD exhibited a hyperopic refractive defect.
- A statistically significant shorter axial length was observed in the GHD group compared to controls.
- The control group demonstrated a slightly myopic mean refractive error.
Conclusions:
- Growth hormone appears to play a significant role in ocular development.
- GH influences the physiological process of emmetropization, affecting refractive outcomes.
Purpose:
Growth hormone (GH) is considered essential for postnatal somatic growth, exerting its effects on growth by hepatic production of IGF-I. IGF and other growth factors interact with the developing ocular tissues by influencing the synthesis of the extracellular matrix of the sclera and by inducing angiogenesis. The association between optic nerve hypoplasia, reduced retinal vascularization and GH deficiency (GHD) is well known. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the possible influence of congenital GHD on the refraction and on the emmetropization process.
Methods:
Eighty children with congenital GHD had a thorough ophthalmologic examination, including cycloplegic refraction and axial length measurement. As a control group we enrolled 483 healthy children.
Results:
In accordance with other epidemiological studies, the control group showed a slightly myopic mean defect; on the contrary, in GHD group we found a hyperopic defect, related to a shorter axial length, with statistically significant differences.
Conclusions:
Our findings emphasise the possible role of growth hormone in ocular development, and its interaction with the physiological process of emmetropization.
