Intraocular Pressure Trends in Children with Myopia Receiving Atropine Therapy.

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Ophthalmology
• Myopia Management

Background:

• Topical atropine is a common treatment for slowing myopia progression in children.
• Concerns exist regarding its long-term effects on intraocular pressure (IOP).

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the longitudinal effects of topical atropine on IOP in pediatric myopia patients.
• To assess the impact of atropine on retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) and ganglion cell complex (GCC) thickness.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective longitudinal study comparing children using 0.125% atropine with non-users.
• Repeated IOP measurements and optical coherence tomography (OCT) for RNFL and GCC thickness.
• Multivariable multilevel models adjusted for relevant covariates.

Main Results:

• The atropine group experienced a statistically significant, yet modest, average annual increase of 0.51 mmHg in IOP.
• No significant differences in RNFL or GCC thickness were observed between the atropine and control groups.
• The atropine group had a higher final IOP compared to the control group (18.3 vs. 16.7 mmHg).

Conclusions:

• Topical atropine use for pediatric myopia control is associated with a small increase in IOP.
• This IOP increase did not appear to negatively impact RNFL thickness.
• Regular IOP monitoring is recommended for children undergoing atropine treatment for myopia.