Low-dose atropine 0.01% for the treatment of childhood myopia: a pan-India multicentric retrospective study.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of low-dose atropine 0.01% in controlling myopia progression among Indian children over a 2-year period. METHODS: This retrospective study, conducted across 20 centres in India, monitored the progression of myopia over 2 years after initiating treatment with 0.01% atropine eye drops. This included children between 6 and 14 years with baseline myopia ranging from -0.5 D to -6 D, astigmatism≤-1.5 D, anisometropia ≤ -1 D and documented myopia progression of ≥0.5 D in the year prior to starting atropine. Subjects with any other ocular pathologies were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 732 children were included in the data analysis. The mean age of the subjects was 9.3±2.7 years. The mean myopia progression at baseline (1 year before starting atropine) was -0.75±0.31 D. The rate of myopia progression was higher in younger subjects and those with higher baseline myopic error. After initiating atropine, myopia progression significantly decreased to -0.27±0.14 D at the end of the first year and -0.24±0.15 D at the end of the second year (p<0.001). Younger children (p<0.001) and higher baseline myopia (p<0.001) was associated with greater myopia progression and poor treatment response (p<0.001 for both). CONCLUSION: Low-dose atropine (0.01%) effectively reduces myopia progression over 2 years in Indian children.

Bilateral true muscle transplantation for correction of very large angle exotropia.

A 59-year old man with very large exotropia and bilateral limitation of adduction, underwent bilateral true muscle transplantation, involving the sutured transfer of resected segment of medial rectus (MR) onto the distal end of lateral rectus (LR), prior to recession of the thus elongated LR muscle. Following this he was left with mild residual exotropia and improved adduction, which has remained stable for 6 months following surgery.

Clinical evaluation of graded Anderson's procedure in idiopathic infantile nystagmus.

Aim: To study the efficacy of graded, bilateral, single, horizontal yoked rectus muscle recession for correction of anomalous head posture (AHP) in idiopathic infantile nystagmus (IIN). We hypothesize that the above procedure would sufficiently correct AHP in IIN. Methods: Case records of patients who presented with IIN and AHP due to eccentric null position were included in a retrospective study following IRB approval. Best-corrected visual acuity (binocular Snellen's acuity for distance, in both null position and primary position), anterior segment evaluation using slit lamp biomicroscopy, fundus examination, ocular motility examination and stereopsis (using TNO for adults and older children, Titmus fly test for younger children) were recorded. In all cases recession of the yoke muscles was performed with a gradation of recession, depending on the initial head turn as elaborated in Table 1. AHP was recorded before surgery and 1 and 3 months after surgery. Visual acuity and stereopsis before and after surgery were recorded. Results: Mean AHP improved from 22.5 ± 6.12 degrees of head turn preoperatively to 7.58 ± 3.62 degrees at 1-month postoperative visit (p < .001). The mean binocular visual acuity improved from 0.47 ± 0.15 preoperatively to 0.25 ± 0.17 after surgery (p < .001). Conclusion: Graded yoke muscle recession based on the initial head turn was found to be successful in correcting moderate AHP in patients with IIN. This procedure leaves behind two recti muscles for further surgical intervention in cases with residual AHP.

Adherence syndrome following inferior oblique anteropositioning - a case report.

INTRODUCTION: We report a case of inferior oblique (IO) muscle adherence with fat adherence, which developed following unilateral IO anteriorization (IOAT). METHODS: A 14-year-old child with V pattern left exotropia, bilateral IO overaction, bilateral dissociated vertical deviation (DVD), and strabismic amblyopia (OS) underwent recess/resect procedure along with IOAT. He developed consecutive esotropia and drooping of upper eyelid with marked limitation of levoelevation (-4). Differential diagnoses of antielevation syndrome and adherence syndrome were considered. On surgical exploration, forced duction test (FDT) was positive for elevation, left inferior oblique (LIO) muscle insertion was found anterior to the inferior rectus (IR) insertion along with fat adhesions which were released and IO muscle was reattached 3 mm behind and 2 mm lateral to IR insertion, along with advancement of left lateral rectus. RESULTS: Following resurgery, the patient had six prisms left esophoria and a hypotropia 9 prisms, with minimal limitation of levoelevation (-1). One month later, it was seen that the hypotropia had increased to 18 prism diopters and limitation of elevation was -2. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence syndrome is a rare and severe complication of IO weakening procedures. The initial postoperative improvement achieved in elevation and hypotropia in primary position was not maintained over subsequent follow-ups.

The key informant strategy to determine the prevalence and causes of functional low vision among children in South India.

PURPOSE: To report the prevalence and causes of functional low vision (FLV) in school-age children in Coimbatore District, Tamil Nadu, India and to report our experience using the key informant (KI) method in this setting. METHODS: Children suspected of having low vision were identified by KIs or Aravind Eye Hospital personnel in Coimbatore District. All identified children underwent a cycloplegic refraction and full eye exam. A primary cause of decreased vision was determined for each child. The prevalence of FLV was calculated for children 6-14 years old. Spectacles and low vision devices were provided free of charge. RESULTS: 345 children aged 6-14 years were referred and 231 had FLV. The positive-predictive value of KI referrals was 64.5%. The prevalence of FLV was 0.071% (7.1 per 10,000; 95% CI 0.062-0.080%) and ranged from 0.026% to 0.141% across the district's blocks. Older children (age 11-14 years; OR 1.41; 95% CI 1.09-1.82) and males (OR 1.52; 95% CI 1.16-1.98) had greater odds of being diagnosed with FLV. The most common causes of FLV were retinal disorders (30.0%) and amblyopia (25.5%). Low vision devices were provided to 169 children who had a mean near and distance visual acuity improvement of 0.31 and 0.63 logMAR, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: This study reports a moderate prevalence of FLV and demonstrates the ability of KIs to identify school-age children with FLV in South India. The provision of basic low vision services can improve visual outcomes in this population.

Traumatic superior oblique tendon rupture.

Traumatic rupture of an extraocular muscle is rare, and most commonly affects the horizontal and vertical rectus muscles. We report a case of a 45-year-old man injured by a metal hook, with rupture of the superior oblique tendon. The resulting deficit was less severe than expected, raising the question of whether a few superior oblique fibers remained intact.