Interocular difference in crystalline lens morphology in children and adolescents with unilateral high myopia

Purpose

To investigate the between-eye differences of the crystalline lens in subjects with unilateral high myopia and assess its contribution to the interocular refractive error disparity.

Methods

Children and adolescents with unilateral high myopia, defined as cycloplegic spherical equivalent (SE) ≤ −5D in one eye and ≥ −3D in the other eye, were recruited. Ocular biometric parameters, including axial length (AL) and lens thickness (LT), were measured by IOLMaster 700. Other lens-related parameters, including anterior lens radius of curvature (ALR) and posterior lens radius of curvature (PLR), were measured by CASIA2 swept-source optical coherence tomography. Lens power (LP) was calculated using Bennett’s formula. Paired t-test was used to assess the between-eye difference in biometric parameters, and multiple regression analysis was used to assess factors associated with the between-eye SE difference.

Results

Ninety-one participants (6–18 years of age; 52.75% girls) were included. The highly myopic eyes showed significantly lower LP (P < 0.001) and smaller ALR (P < 0.001) than the contralateral eyes, while no significant difference was found in central LT. In both eyes, ALR was significantly related to SE (P = 0.001 and P = 0.006, respectively); while LT was not associated with SE (P = 0.051 and P = 0.052, respectively). Paired-eye analysis showed that the between-eye difference in ALR was the only lenticular parameter significantly associated with the between-eye difference in SE (P = 0.005).

Conclusion

In highly myopic eyes, the crystalline lens reduced total power but morphologically changed to a more curved shape without significant lens thinning, suggesting that the LP loss is mainly achieved by reducing its internal power in high myopes.