Characteristics of Patients with Accommodative Esotropia Who Need Glasses for Stable Alignment after Myopic Shift

Abstract

Purpose: We analyzed the characteristics of patients with refractive accommodative esotropia (RAET) who required glasses for stable alignment after a myopic shift.Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients diagnosed with RAET at the initial visit, and who had developed a myopic shift in both eyes over the 5-year follow-up period. To evaluate clinical factors associated with the persistence of esotropia after myopia, the enrolled patients were divided into two groups; patients with RAET who needed glasses for stable alignment after a myopic shift (unstable group) and patients with RAET whose esotropia resolved after a myopic shift (stable group).Results: A total of 55 patients met the inclusion criteria. The mean follow-up period was 13.8 ± 5.7 years (5-27 years). Spherical equivalent (SE) refractive errors at the initial visit were +3.1 ± 1.6 diopters (D) (+1.00 to +7.25 D) and -1.5 ± 0.9 D (-4.38 to -0.5 D) at the last visit. Of the 55 RAET patients, 24 were included in the unstable group and 31 were included in the stable group. No significant differences in gender, age at diagnosis, SE refractive error, or angle of esotropia with glasses were observed between the two groups. However, significantly more patients failed the Lang I test or had anisometropia over 1.5 D at the last visit, and the duration between the onset of esotropia and prescribing glasses was significantly longer in the unstable group than in the stable group.Conclusions: Glasses may be needed for stable alignment even after a myopic shift in RAET patients with long durations of misalignment, poor stereopsis, and anisometropia.