Peripheral eye length change in myopic children before and after wearing spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets.

Abstract

Purpose : This study aimed to investigate the impact of spectacle lenses with highly aspherical lenslets (HAL) on the peripheral eye length (PEL) changes in Chinese myopic children.

Methods : Forty children aged 8 to 13 years with myopia between -0.75 D and -4.75 D were recruited to wear single-vision spectacle lenses (SVL) for two years and changed to wear HAL for one year. Axial length (AL) and PEL at 15° and 30° in the nasal (N) and temporal (T) retina were measured every six months for three years.

Results : Over 2 years, wearing SVL resulted in significant increase of AL and all PELs (all p<0.001), with AL exhibiting the most elongation and increasing more slowly towards the periphery. After switching to wearing HAL for one year, AL elongation was reduced by 63% (from 0.34mm/year to 0.13mm/year), PEL-N15 and PEL-T15 elongation was reduced by 49% and 71% (PEL-N15, from 0.29mm/year to 0.15mm/year; PEL-T15, from 0.33mm/year to 0.09mm/year), PEL-N30 and PEL-T30 elongation was reduced by 31% and 53% (PEL-N30, from 0.21mm/year to 0.15mm/year; PEL-T30, from 0.26mm/year to 0.12mm/year). There was no difference between changes in AL and PELs at different positions in the third year (p=0.62).

Conclusions : HAL has been shown to be effective in slowing down both central and peripheral eye elongation, with greater effectiveness in the central and paramacular region. Eye length at different eccentricities showed similar elongation rates while wearing HAL, thereby preventing the eyeball from growing towards a more oval shape.

This abstract was presented at the 2024 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, WA, May 5-9, 2024.