Long-term Observations on the Emmetropization of the High Hyperopia.

Lim, Hyun Taek; Cho, Sung Il; Lee, Sung Jin; Park, Song Hee

Original Article

Journal of the Korean Ophthalmological Society 2002;43(7):1230-1237.
Published online July 1, 2002.

Long-term Observations on the Emmetropization of the High Hyperopia.

Hyun Taek Lim, Sung Il Cho, Sung Jin Lee, Song Hee Park

Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, Soonchunhyang University, Korea. eyedrlim@hanmail.net

고도원시의 정시화에 대한 장기 관찰

임현택 ( Hyun Taek Lim ) , 조성일 ( Sung Il Cho ) , 이성진 ( Sung Jin Lee ) , 박성희 ( Song Hee Park )

Abstract

PURPOSE
We are to investigate the reduction rate of high hyperopia, that is, process of emmetropization. METHODS: Thirty children who had hyperopia more than spherical equivalent of+4.0 diopter and could be followed at least 3 years were reviewed retrospectively. Data including visual acuity and the magnitude of hyperopia were collected every 6 months from 3 years of age. Annual reduction rates of hyperopia were analysed. Changes in the level of hyperopia were compared with those who had strabismus or astigmatism and those who did not. RESULTS: The children who had higher degree of initial hyperopia showed the faster rates of annual reduction but also significantly higher level of remained hyperopia (p=0.003). The concurrent presence of astigmatism was associated with a lesser reduction in hyperopia (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Our data show that, as a whole, the emmetropization of high hyperopia occurs as a linear function of the initial level and converges toward a low hyperopic value. We have also found that astigmatism might impede emmetropization.

Key Words: Emmetropization;High hyperopia;Hyperopia;Strabismus