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Prevalence, grade of conjunctivochalasis linked to type, degree of refractive error
Eye Contact Lens. 2011;doi: 10.1097/ICL.0b013e31820ca377.
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Refractive error, particularly hyperopia, may be associated with grade and severity of conjunctivochalasis, according to a large study.
"This was the first assessment of the relationship between refractive error and the grade of conjunctivochalasis in a large consecutive series of patients," the authors said. "Our results suggest that the prevalence and grade of conjunctivochalasis are dependent on refractive error, with hyperopia being an important risk factor for conjunctivochalasis."
The prospective study included 1,110 patients ranging in age from 3 years to 94 years. Patients with a history of contact lens use, previous ocular surgery, infectious conjunctivitis or corneal disease were excluded.
Investigators recorded age, gender, medical history, ocular history, grade and location of conjunctivochalasis, and refractive error. Conjunctivochalasis was assessed in the nasal, middle and temporal regions.
Patients were assigned to three groups according to refractive error — myopia less than 2 D, hyperopia of 0 D or more, and emmetropia — and 10 groups according to age.
Study results showed that hyperopic patients in all age groups had a higher mean grade of conjunctivochalasis than myopic patients.
The relationship between refractive error, severity of conjunctivochalasis affecting the nasal and temporal bulbar conjunctiva and changes affecting the nasal and temporal bulbar conjunctiva were significant in patients older than 40 years (P < .05).
Data showed no appreciable differences in changes related to downward gaze and digital pressure in conjunctivochalasis between myopic and hyperopic patients, the authors reported.