MYOPIA INDIAN EYES: COMPARING CALCULATED AND MEASURED AXIAL LENGTH IN YOUNG PATIENTS
Myopia is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children and young adults in the world. As age increases axial length increasing risks of myopia for causing ocular morbidity including retinal detachment, glaucoma, myopic macular degeneration, and cataracts. In India, much patient eye examination done at primary eye clinic, where to estimate axial length is difficult. Our aim of the study was to assess the reliability of formula by comparing Predicted Axial Length (AL) uses corneal radius and Spherical equivalent (SE) to the measured AL using Ocular Biometry. Method: 96 myopic eyes were included, Comprehensive eye examination with Auto-refractokeratometer using TOPCON-800 and Axial length with Ocular Biometry (IOL Master-500) Calculated Axial length with formula by using AVE-K and SE which is obtained from original Gullstrand simplified Schematic eye: AL= (24.00×AVE-K/7.80–SE×0.40) for both K-reading. Result: Mean Calculated AL(mm) was 24.67 ± .90 and Measured AL (mm) which was 24.28 ± .96mm in 9-25yr age (P<0.001) with Mean difference 0.3±0.4. All groups show statistically significant correlation between Calculate AL and Mean AL (p<0.01, r>0.9). The coefficient of determination (R2) was 82% in 9-25yr age group. Conclusion: Study provides strong agreement between Measured AL and Calculated AL. Alternate method of AL measurement with a calculated formula can be implemented in all primary eye care for predicting Axial length and managing myopic patients for monitoring myopia control.