C54781: Myopia – part 2

In the first article in the series we considered the factors which could influence the development of myopia. In this second article we will consider the contact lens interventions which have been postulated to reduce the progression of myopia. Firstly we need to consider the potential risk of uncontrolled myopia development.

Risks of pathological myopia

In the previous article, pathological myopia was defined as that level of myopia at which the economic burden on an individual or society should be considered. This burden is not only in the provision of appropriate refractive correction but in the socio-economic consequences of the ocular diseases associated with significant myopia. The predominant feature in higher levels of myopia is the increase in vitreous chamber depth and its effect on axial length. This increase in size leads to stretching of the ocular layers. Known consequences of this stretching are retinal thinning, retinal breaks and lattice degeneration (figures 1 to 3). The result of these retinal changes is an increased risk of retinal detachment.