Skip to main content
The British Journal of Ophthalmology logoLink to The British Journal of Ophthalmology
. 1996 Oct;80(10):860–863. doi: 10.1136/bjo.80.10.860

Natural history of infantile anisometropia.

M Abrahamsson 1, J Sjöstrand 1
PMCID: PMC505638  PMID: 8976694

Abstract

AIMS/BACKGROUND: In a previous study longitudinal changes of anisometropia were investigated. It was shown that anisometropia arises and vanishes during the emmetropisation process and that the associated risk for amblyopia is low. The aim of this study was to follow acuity and refraction longitudinally in children with marked anisometropia at 1 year of age. METHODS: Refractive errors and visual acuity were estimated every sixth month for a selected group of 20 children with marked anisometropia > or = 3.0 D (spherical equivalent) at 1 year of age from approximately 3 to 10 years of age. RESULTS: The children could be classified into three groups. In six subjects the anisometropia increased (mean 1.4 D) and they all developed amblyopia. The remaining children could be classified into two groups of equal size. One group developed no amblyopia and the anisometropia decreased with a mean of 3.0 D. The seven remaining children developed amblyopia and/or strabismus; the mean anisometropia decrease was 1.2 D. CONCLUSION: Anisometropia at 1 year of age that is larger or equal to 3.0 D will in 90% of the cases still be there at 10 years of age. There is a substantial risk of this group developing amblyopia (60%).

Full text

PDF
860

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Abrahamsson M., Fabian G., Sjöstrand J. A longitudinal study of a population based sample of astigmatic children. II. The changeability of anisometropia. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh) 1990 Aug;68(4):435–440. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1990.tb01672.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Abrahamsson M., Fabian G., Sjöstrand J. Refraction changes in children developing convergent or divergent strabismus. Br J Ophthalmol. 1992 Dec;76(12):723–727. doi: 10.1136/bjo.76.12.723. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Almeder L. M., Peck L. B., Howland H. C. Prevalence of anisometropia in volunteer laboratory and school screening populations. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 1990 Nov;31(11):2448–2455. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Aurell E., Norrsell K. A longitudinal study of children with a family history of strabismus: factors determining the incidence of strabismus. Br J Ophthalmol. 1990 Oct;74(10):589–594. doi: 10.1136/bjo.74.10.589. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hung L. F., Crawford M. L., Smith E. L. Spectacle lenses alter eye growth and the refractive status of young monkeys. Nat Med. 1995 Aug;1(8):761–765. doi: 10.1038/nm0895-761. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ingram R. M. Refraction of 1-year-old children after atropine cycloplegia. Br J Ophthalmol. 1979 May;63(5):343–347. doi: 10.1136/bjo.63.5.343. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Kutschke P. J., Scott W. E., Keech R. V. Anisometropic amblyopia. Ophthalmology. 1991 Feb;98(2):258–263. doi: 10.1016/s0161-6420(91)32307-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Laatikainen L., Erkkilä H. Refractive errors and other ocular findings in school children. Acta Ophthalmol (Copenh) 1980;58(1):129–136. doi: 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1980.tb04576.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Lepard C. W. Comparative changes in the error of refraction between fixing and amblyopic eyes during growth and development. Am J Ophthalmol. 1975 Sep;80(3 Pt 2):485–490. doi: 10.1016/0002-9394(75)90212-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lithander J., Sjöstrand J. Anisometropic and strabismic amblyopia in the age group 2 years and above: a prospective study of the results of treatment. Br J Ophthalmol. 1991 Feb;75(2):111–116. doi: 10.1136/bjo.75.2.111. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Noorden G. K. Mechanisms of amblyopia. Adv Ophthalmol. 1977;34:93–115. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Phelps W. L., Muir J. Anisometropia and strabismus. Am Orthopt J. 1977;27:131–133. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Pärssinen O. Anisometropia and changes in anisometropia in school myopia. Optom Vis Sci. 1990 Apr;67(4):256–259. doi: 10.1097/00006324-199004000-00005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Raviola E., Wiesel T. N. An animal model of myopia. N Engl J Med. 1985 Jun 20;312(25):1609–1615. doi: 10.1056/NEJM198506203122505. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Tanlamai T., Goss D. A. Prevalence of monocular amblyopia among anisometropes. Am J Optom Physiol Opt. 1979 Nov;56(11):704–715. doi: 10.1097/00006324-197911000-00006. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. de Vries J. Anisometropia in children: analysis of a hospital population. Br J Ophthalmol. 1985 Jul;69(7):504–507. doi: 10.1136/bjo.69.7.504. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The British Journal of Ophthalmology are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES