Change of Visual Acuity and Astigmatism after Operation in Epiblepharon Children

ABSTRACT

To study the relationship between the corneal erosion by inverted eyelash and the degree of astigmatism and visual acuity, we reviewed the surgical recorders of epiblepharon children. We classified 106 eyes of 53 children as 3 groups according to the area of corneal erosion(grade Iconfined below pupil, grade IIinvolving pupil partially, grade IIIinvolving pupil totally). We examined uncorrected visual acuity(UCVA), best corrected visual acuity(BCVA)and noncycloplegic auto-refraction test before and 1 month after surgery. Mean UCVA was increased from 0.61 before surgery to 0.71 after surgery and mean BCVA was increased from 0.82 to 0.89 and the differences were stastically significant(p0.05). The degree of visual improvement and astigmatic decrease was similar in 3 groups. In conclusion in epiblepharon children the visual acuity was poor more likely due to corneal erosion itself than due to refractive error like astigmatism. In epiblepharon children with-the-rule astigmatism was more prevalent than in normal children before and after the surgery.