Exam 2 Flashcards
Which age group has the largest distribution of refractive errors?
Newborns
Change in refractive errors after birth
Rapid change toward emmetropia. The greater RE at birth, the faster the shift in the first 18 months
______% of newborns are myopes
25%
Change in refractive error during preschool age
Majority of emmetropization in the first 18-36 months
When does the incidence of myopia begin to increase?
School age ~8-10, with the greatest incidence around puberty
____% are myopic by age 14-15
40%
Myopia averages tend to stabilize around age _____
15-8
____% of school age children change less than 0.50 diopters?
75%
Mean RE at 6 years old
+0.75D
Mean RE at 12 years old
+0.25D
Adult onset myopia
more likely to be male, tens to remain in only low amounts
RE distribution in middle adulthood
Previously unRxed patients are coming in for exams! Guess what? They’re hyperopes! Mean RE is now +1.00
RE trends in late adulthood
Slight myopic shift in average RE, increased incidence in myopia again.
Those who started hyperopic drift in middle age may continue along that path
What is the most common anatomical feature that causes RE
Deviant axial length
When, and how quickly does the process of emmetropization take place?
Major changes in the first 18-36 months, continues more slowly through age 6-8
Axial length changes in age 0-5
Rate of increase is slower in myopic patients, faster in hyperopic patients
RE at age 13-14 can roughly be predicted based on RE when starting school. What will happen for
> +1.50 hyperopes?
+0.50 –> +1.25 hyperopes?
0 –> +0.49 hyperopes?
> +1.50 hyperopes: still hyperopic
+0.50 –> +1.25 hyperopes: close to emmetropic
0 –> +0.49 hyperopes: will be myopic (especially with ATR astigmatism)
Prevalence of myopia by age
birth?
age 6?
age 10?
age 20?
birth: 25%
age 6: 2% due to emmetropization
age 10: >10%
age 20: >40%
Incidence clusters of myopia
Congenital 8-9 12-13 19-24 55+
Predicting myopia using ratio of Axial Length / Corneal Radius (aka AL/CR)
At age 8…
AL/CR >3.0, most likely will become myopic
AL/CR
Rate of change of myopia
The younger it starts, the greater the rate of change
Elimination of hyperopia happens slowly, but once the individual passes across the threshold of emmetropia to myopia, the rate of change increases dramatically.
Girls start sooner, but also end progression sooner. Girls also have a higher rate of change
Final ammount of myopia
Later onset means slower progression into a lower final amount
Females have higher myopic mean than males
Late onset has a high chance of reversing
Females and myopia
Start and end progression sooner
Faster rate of progression
Higher incidence
Less likely to develop late-onset
Myopia and education
More highly educated people have more myopia. Surprise!
HS Grads: 25% Undergrads: 40% Grad Students: 55% Opt Students: 71% Military Academy Students: 50-60%