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Association of intraocular pressure and myopia in children
G E Quinn1, J A Berlin, T L Young
1Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia 19104.
Insights
Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) may be linked to myopia in children. This study found a correlation between higher IOP and myopia in pediatric patients, suggesting a potential role in abnormal eye growth.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric eye care
- Refractive error research
Background:
- Elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is a known risk factor for myopia in adults.
- The relationship between IOP and myopia development in children without glaucoma remains unclear and debated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential association between intraocular pressure (IOP) and refractive error in children.
- To determine if IOP influences eye growth and myopia progression in a pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study was conducted involving children undergoing eye examinations.
- Intraocular pressure (IOP) was measured in 321 children, with myopia defined as a spherical equivalent exceeding -1 diopter.
- Logistic regression analysis was employed to identify factors associated with myopia, including IOP, age, and family history.
Main Results:
- Higher IOP was found to be associated with myopia in children.
- Factors such as increasing age, family history of myopia, and amblyopia were also correlated with myopia.
- The association between IOP and myopia persisted even after excluding children with conditions like amblyopia, strabismus, and prematurity.
Conclusions:
- Intraocular pressure (IOP) may be higher in myopic children compared to non-myopic children.
- Further research is needed to understand if IOP plays a causal role in the abnormal eye growth characteristic of childhood myopia.
Purpose:
While elevated intraocular pressure (IOP) is associated with myopia in adults, its potential influence on the growth of eyes in juveniles without glaucoma is controversial. To address this issue, a possible relation between IOP and refraction in children was sought.
Methods:
A cross-sectional survey of IOP was conducted in children presenting to the Division of Pediatric Ophthalmology at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia for a complete eye examination. Measurement of IOP was attempted in all children, including those with amblyopia, prematurity, and strabismus. Exclusion criteria were abnormalities of the posterior pole and/or conditions such as cataract that precluded assessment of refractive error. For analysis, myopia was defined as a spherical equivalent of more than 1 diopter (D) of myopia. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between other patient characteristics and presence of myopia.
Results:
Intraocular pressure testing was attempted in all age groups, but was more successful in older children. Reliable readings were obtained on 321 subjects. The mean age was 9.8 years, with a mean IOP of 17.3 mmHg in the right eye and 17.2 mmHg in the left and a mean spherical equivalent of +0.2 D in the right eye and +0.1 D in the left. Increasing age, a family history of myopia, and amblyopia were associated myopia. Increasing IOP also was related to myopia. Even when patients with amblyopia, strabismus, and prematurity were exclude, age, family history of myopia, and IOP again were associated with myopia.
Conclusions:
These results indicate that IOP in children may be higher in myopic than nonmyopic eyes. Whether IOP could contribute to the mechanisms causing the abnormal eye growth of childhood myopia requires further study.