title: Treatment outcomes of myopic anisometropia with 1% atropine: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the safety and efficacy of the treatment of myopic anisometropia with 1% atropine.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two children with myopic anisometropia were prescribed 1% solution of atropine sulfate to the more myopic eye, one drop before sleep every 3 days. Children were visited every 3 to 4 months until the degree of anisometropia was no more than 0.5 diopters (D) ("Success") or unchanged after 9 months of treatment ("No effect"). The treatment effect was assessed by comparing the interocular imbalance in refraction and axial length before and after the treatment. A detailed questionnaire about subjective symptoms in each visit and an electroretinogram in the end were administered to evaluate the side effects of this treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The subjects were followed for 7 to 16 months. Six subjects withdrew participation on their own accord, and three were excluded because of inconstant usage of drug. Of the 13 remaining subjects, the refraction of the treated eyes decreased by 0.63 ± 0.59 D (p = 0.007), whereas that of the untreated eyes increased by -0.72 ± 0.65 D (p < 0.001). A corresponding trend was also found in the change of the axial length. Accordingly, the level of anisometropia was reduced from 1.82 ± 0.73 D to 0.47 ± 0.65 D (p < 0.001) and 10 (76.9%) of the 13 subjects were designated a "Success." One percent atropine was well tolerated by the children, and no electroretinogram abnormality was detected.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results from this pilot study indicate that monocular usage of a solution of 1% atropine sulfate is an effective treatment to reduce anisometropia, although with some tolerable side effects. Nevertheless, an attenuated benefit was observed after cessation of atropine treatment. Thus, participants should be informed of a possible rebound effect before the administration of atropine for myopic anisometropia.
authors.affiliation: *MD †MD, PhD State Key Laboratory of Ophthalmology, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (LL, LW, ZF, YZ); Section of Neurobiology of the Eye, Center for Ophthalmology, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany (LW); Graduate School of Cellular and Molecular Neuroscience, University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen, Germany (LW); Ophthalmic Department, Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China (LY); and Aier Eye Hospital Group, Changsha, Hunan, China (CC, YZ).
authors.forename: Lixia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Weizhong
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Lan
authors.forename: Yunru
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Can
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Zhikuan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D015858:Anisometropia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D001285:Atropine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009184:Mydriatics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009216:Myopia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012029:Refraction, Ocular / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009184:Mydriatics; D001285:Atropine