Researchers identify risk factors for myopic maculopathy progression in children
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Key takeaways:
- Enlargement of diffuse chorioretinal atrophy was the most common type of progression.
- Worse best-corrected visual acuity, longer axial length, faster axial length elongation and more severe myopic maculopathy were risk factors.
Worse best-corrected visual acuity, longer axial length, faster axial length elongation and severe myopic maculopathy were reported risk factors for myopic maculopathy progression in children, according to research in JAMA Ophthalmology.
“Myopic maculopathy progressed in approximately one in eight individuals younger than 18 years of age, supporting consideration of follow-up in these individuals and trying to identify those at higher risk for progression,” Feng Jiang, MD, from the State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology in Guangzhou, China, and colleagues wrote.
In an observational study of 548 high myopic eyes from 274 participants aged 7 to 17 years at Zhongshan Ophthalmologic Center, researchers investigated the 4-year progression of myopic maculopathy using the International Photographic Classification and Grading System.
Jiang and colleagues reported that 12.2% of eyes had myopic maculopathy progression with 88 lesion changes. Of those, 18.2% had new signs of tessellated fundus, 13.6% had diffuse atrophy, 2.3% had patchy atrophy, 10.2% had lacquer cracks and 55.7% had enlargement of diffuse atrophy.
In addition, multivariable analysis demonstrated that myopic maculopathy progression was associated with worse best-corrected visual acuity (OR = 6.68; P = .04), longer axial length (OR = 1.73; P < .001), faster axial length elongation (OR = 302.83; P < .001) and more severe myopic maculopathy (diffuse atrophy, OR = 4.52; P < .001; patchy atrophy, OR = 3.82; P = .002).
“Compared with adults, children and adolescents have a greater likelihood of progressing myopic maculopathy whenever a tessellated fundus was present,” Jiang and colleagues wrote. “Therefore, it is imperative to closely monitor and implement proactive interventions for young individuals who just have mild fundus lesions and are likely to deteriorate further.”
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