A retrospective analysis of the therapeutic effects of 0.01% atropine on axial length growth in children in a real-life clinical setting.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Several randomized controlled studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of 0.01% atropine eye drops on myopia progression in children. However, treatment effects may be different in a routine clinical setting. We performed a retrospective analysis of our clinical data from children to investigate the effect of 0.01% atropine eye drops on myopia progression in a routine clinical setting.

METHODS:

Atropine-treated children were asked to instill one drop of 0.01% atropine in each eye every evening at 5 days a week. Myopic children who did not undergo atropine treatment served as controls. Objective refraction and ocular biometry of 80 atropine-treated and 103 untreated children at initial visit and 1 year later were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS:

Myopic refractions in the treated and untreated children at initial visit ranged from -0.625 to -15.25 D (-4.21 ± 2.90 D) and from -0.125 to -9.375 D (-2.92 ± 1.77 D), respectively. Ages at initial visit ranged from 3.2 to 15.5 years (10.1 ± 2.7 years) in the treated and from 3.4 to 15.5 years (11.2 ± 3.0 years) in untreated children. Two-factor ANOVA for age and atropine effects on axial length growth confirmed that axial length growth rates declined with age (p<0.0001) and revealed a significant inhibitory effect of atropine on axial length growth (p<0.0015). The atropine effect on axial length growth averaged to 0.08 mm (28%) inhibition per year. Effects on refraction were not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION:

The observed atropine effects were not very distinctive: Statistical analysis confirmed that atropine reduced axial length growth, but to an extent of minor clinical relevance. It was also shown that beneficial effects of 0.01% atropine may not be obvious in each single case, which should be communicated with parents and resident ophthalmologists.

• Authors: Hakan Kaymak, Birte Graff, Frank Schaeffel, Achim Langenbucher, Berthold Seitz, Hartmut Schwahn
• Journal: Graefe's archive for clinical and experimental ophthalmology = Albrecht von Graefes Archiv fur klinische und experimentelle Ophthalmologie (Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol) Vol. 259 Issue 10 Pg. 3083-3092 (Oct 2021) ISSN: 1435-702X [Electronic] Germany
• PMID: 34142186 (Publication Type: Journal Article)
• Copyright: © 2021. The Author(s).

Chemical References

• Mydriatics
• Ophthalmic Solutions
• Atropine

Topics

• Adolescent
• Atropine
• Axial Length, Eye
• Biometry
• Child
• Child, Preschool
• Disease Progression
• Humans
• Mydriatics
• Ophthalmic Solutions
• Refraction, Ocular
• Retrospective Studies