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Axial myopia in eyes with optic nerve hypoplasia

  • Clinical Investigations
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Abstract

Given that abnormal visual experience during post natal development interferes with emmetropization, we proposed that eyes with hypoplastic optic nerves were predisposed to the development of refractive errors. Six of 14 patients with unilateral optic nerve hypoplasia and 5 of 22 patients with bilateral involvement had at least 4 D of myopia. Nine of the 11 patients with asymmetric bilateral involvement had relative myopia in the eye with the more abnormal optic nerve; none of the patients with symmetric bilateral involvement had a significant interocular refractive difference. Analysis of axial length measurements obtained in 10 of the 11 patients with high myopia showed a significant increase in total axial length. The presumed normal eye of patients with unilateral involvement was significantly smaller than the mean value for age-adjusted normals. We suspect that visual input to the central nervous system is one of the feedback signals involved in the regulation of ocular growth.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Children's Hospital and Medical Center, 4800 Sand Point Way N.E., P.O. Box C5371, 98105, Seattle, WA, USA

    Avery H. Weiss

  2. Fox Chase Cancer Center, 510 Township Line Road Cheltenham, 19012, PA, USA

    Eric A. Ross

Authors
  1. Avery H. Weiss
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  2. Eric A. Ross
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Correspondence to: A.H. Weiss

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Weiss, A.H., Ross, E.A. Axial myopia in eyes with optic nerve hypoplasia. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 230, 372–377 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00165948

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00165948

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