The effect of surgical correction of epiblepharon on astigmatism in children.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the characteristics of astigmatism in epiblepharon and postoperative astigmatic changes in children.


METHODS
The authors undertook a retrospective chart review of 56 patients who underwent an epiblepharon operation. Preoperative astigmatism was compared with postoperative astigmatism according to age at surgery, the presence of amblyopia, and unilateral epiblepharon.


RESULTS
Astigmatism decreased from a preoperative mean of 1.34 +/- 1.25 D with-the-rule astigmatism to a postoperative mean of 1.10 +/- 1.14 D with-the-rule astigmatism in all patients (P = .055), and this reduction was statistically significant in the 5- to 7-year age group (P = .038), amblyopic eyes (P = .021), and affected eyes in cases of unilateral epiblepharon (P = .004).


CONCLUSIONS
Epiblepharon operations were found to change astigmatism. The results obtained suggest that an epiblepharon operation should be considered in patients with amblyopia and epiblepharon prior to the general treatment of amblyopia.
Park
Sang Woo
SW
Department of Ophthalmology, Chonnam National University Medical School & Hospital, Gwangju, South Korea.
Sok
Ji Yong
JY
Park
Yeoung Geol
YG
D001251:Astigmatism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005141:Eyelid Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*