the Effect of Low-Concentration Atropine Combined With Auricular Acupoint Stimulation in Myopia Control

Myopia has been an increasing problem among school children, especially in Asian countries. High myopia is not only a refractive problem, but also a disease that can result in a number of sight-threatening complications such as macular degeneration, retinal detachment, glaucoma, and cataract. Atropine is a long-acting non-selective muscarinic antagonist that blocks accommodation by paralyzing ciliary muscles; it may affect remodeling of the sclera and suppress the elongation of axial length. Acupuncture and acupressure have been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. Auricular acupoint stimulation by acupuncture or acupressure has been reported to improve visual acuity in myopic patients. Therefore, we want to compare the effect of myopia control between patients treated with low-concentration atropine eye drops combined with auricular acupoint stimulation and those who treated with atropine alone.

Inclusion criteria

• Children aged from 6 to 12 years with myopia, defined as spherical equivalent (SE) of -0.5 diopter (D) or less, were recruited from the outpatient clinics from January 2011 to June 2012.

Exclusion criteria

• (1) abnormal IOP (>21 mmHg) at presentation, (2) astigmatism or anisometropia of more than 1.5 D, (3) amblyopia or strabismus, (4) the presence of any related eyelid diseases, ocular diseases, or auricular diseases, (5) the presence of hemostatic disorders or other related major systemic diseases, (6) history of allergy to atropine, (7) previous or current use of contact lenses, bifocals, progressive lenses, or other forms of treatment for myopia.