Am Orthopt J  49: 61-68  (1999).

The John Pratt-Johnson Annual Lecture
Development of High Myopia, Strabismus and Anisometropia in Premature Infants

Maria del Pilar Echeverri de Castro, M.D.
Jaime Mejia, M.D.

Patients and Methods: 109 premature infants examined between January 1991 and January 1996 were followed for a mean time of 39 months. Sixty six had ROP and forty three had normal retinal examinations. All of them were refracted using cycloplegic retinoscopy at 3 months, 12 months and 18 months. Strabismus was detected by the Krimsky method.

Results: We found a high correlation of strabismus, high myopia (>/=5.00 D.) and anisometropia (difference of spherical equivalent > 2.00 D. between the eyes) with the presence of ROP and increasing severity of retinopathy of prematurity. The presence of myopia and high myopia was not related to either treatment for ROP stage 3 or to the class of treatment.

Conclusion: Strabismus, anisometropia and high myopia had no association to low birth weight or low gestational age in patients with ROP, but anisometropia and high myopia were related to younger gestational age when the tests of correlation were done to the total population of premature babies included in the study. The presence of ROP and increasing severity of it were predictors of myopia and high myopia.

© 1999 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System