Myopic maculopathy tends to progress in approximately 40 per cent of highly myopic eyes, and the pattern of progression affects the visual prognosis, according to the authors of a recent Japanese study.
“The impact of myopic maculopathy on visual impairment is important because the maculopathy is often bilateral, irreversible, and frequently affects individuals during their most productive years,” the authors of the study said.
The study was conducted by the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at Tokyo Medical and Dental University and published in Opthalmology, the official journal of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
It reviewed the medical records of 806 eyes of 429 patients with high myopia (refractive error more than -8 D or axial length of 26.5 mm or greater). The mean follow-up for patients was 12.7 years.
The study concluded that “Preventive therapy targeting posterior staphyloma should be considered to prevent the visual impairment caused by the progression of myopic maculopathy.”
