Crystalline Lens Power and Associated Factors in Highly Myopic Children and Adolescents Aged 4 to 19 Years.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the distribution characteristics of lens power in highly myopic Chinese children and adolescents and its association with age, axial length (AL) and spherical equivalent (SE). Design Cross-sectional study. Method A total of 459 highly myopic (SE ≤-5D) children and adolescents aged 4 to 19 years were included. Participants underwent a series of ophthalmic examinations, which included AL, cycloplegic refraction and Pentacam measurements. Lens power was calculated using Bennett’s formula with its distribution described by age, AL and SE. Multiple regression was conducted to analyze the associated factors of lens power. Results Greater lens power was independently associated with younger age, girls, shorter AL and thicker lens thickness (LT) (standardized β=-0.203, 0.214, -0.379 and 0.492, respectively, all p Conclusion Among highly myopic children and adolescents, differences in lens power with age declined significantly since 9 years old, which was 1 year earlier than non-high myopes in previous studies, implying the differences in pathophysiological process between non-high myopia and high myopia. The decoupling of lens power and AL in eyes longer than 27 mm might represent the limited influence of AL on lens power.