A Study of Proportion of Pseudomyopia in Hypermetropia

Abstract

Introduction: Pseudomyopia results from spasm of accommodation and accommodative excess. It manifests with spurious myopia, and patient may accept myopic correction in this state. Inability to detect the underlying hypermetropia can lead to asthenopia, eye pain and recurrent headaches. Aim: To find out the number of hyperopes presenting with pseudomyopia and to correlate the diopteric value of hyperopia manifesting with pseudomyopia. Materials and Methods: Patients attending ophthalmology department with low myopia were recruited in the study. Sixty two patients were evaluated on Autorefractometer (UNIQUERK 100) before and after cycloplegia with 2% Homatropine. Results were tabulated and paired t-test was applied to find out the p-value and t-value. Results: In the study, the mean precycloplegic myopia of -1.0484 Diopters changed to a mean postcycloplegic hyperopia of +0.6774 Diopters, contributing to a mean difference of -1.726 Diopters in both the eyes. The mean t-value for both eyes from precycloplegic to postcycloplegic state finding was -15.723, showing a significant test. The mean precycloplegic astigmatism was found to change from -0.3911 to -0.3447 postcycloplegia. The mean difference being -0.046 diopters; it contributed to a mean t-value of -1.689, which was non-significant. Conclusion: Low diopters of myopia can indicate pseudomyopia. Cycloplegic refraction is the only method to manifest the hyperopia underlying pseudomyopia. Significant proportion of pseudomyopia is associated with low diopters of hypermetropia.

Keywords

• autorefractometer
• cycloplegia
• homatropine
• hypermetropia
• myopia