Corrected Percentile Curves to Track Myopisation-The Anyang Childhood Eye Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatric Ophthalmology
• Biometry

Background:

• Percentile curves are used for tracking ocular growth and myopia development.
• Current population-based curves are criticized for inaccuracies in tracking myopia onset and progression.
• This inaccuracy stems from including multiple refractive error groups in analyses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the validity of criticisms regarding current myopia monitoring percentile curves.
• To propose corrected percentile curves tailored to specific refractive development trajectories.
• To enhance the detection of early myopic changes and monitor myopia control interventions.

Main Methods:

• Longitudinal biometric data from 1999 Chinese schoolchildren were analyzed.
• Children were categorized into emmetropic and myopic subgroups based on refractive error progression.
• Percentile curves were generated for axial length, axial growth, AL/CR ratio, and cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) using the LMS method, stratified by sex and refractive group.

Main Results:

• Distinct percentile curves for emmetropic and myopic eyes showed significant differences from traditional population curves.
• Whole-population curves were found to underestimate myopia risk and overestimate treatment effects.
• Girls exhibited greater myopic progression and axial elongation than boys; SE curves stratified by age of myopia onset were presented.

Conclusions:

• The study presents new percentile curves for ocular biometry and refractive error.
• These curves improve the ability to detect early myopic changes and monitor myopia control.
• Recommendations include using SE curves based on cycloplegic refraction, developing sex- and region-specific models, and avoiding reliance on axial length alone.