Changes in the anterior segment after cycloplegia with a biometer using swept-source optical coherence tomography

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Biomedical Optics
• Pediatric Eye Care

Background:

• Cycloplegia is essential for accurate refractive error assessment in children.
• Understanding ocular biometric changes post-cycloplegia is crucial for pediatric eye care.
• Previous methods for measuring anterior segment changes were less precise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of cycloplegia on the anterior segment of pediatric eyes.
• To evaluate the efficacy of a novel biometer combined with swept-source optical coherence tomography (SSOCT) for these measurements.
• To quantify changes in axial length, corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, and lens thickness.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of pediatric patients with strabismus or amblyopia underwent cycloplegia.
• Ocular biometry was performed using a combined biometer-SSOCT system before and after cycloplegia.
• Key parameters measured included axial length, central corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, and lens thickness.

Main Results:

• Lens thickness significantly decreased (P < 0.001) and anterior chamber depth significantly increased (P < 0.001) post-cycloplegia.
• Axial length and central corneal thickness showed no significant changes.
• A strong negative correlation was found between changes in lens thickness and anterior chamber depth (r = -0.73, P = 0.02).

Conclusions:

• The biometer-SSOCT system accurately detects anterior segment changes in pediatric eyes after cycloplegia.
• Cycloplegia induces significant changes in lens thickness and anterior chamber depth in children.
• These findings provide valuable data for understanding ocular dynamics in pediatric ophthalmology.