Exotropia. Credit: Community Eye Health

The results of a Chinese study of myopic children with basic-type intermittent exotropia support the use of 0.01% atropine eye drops for slowing myopia progression without interfering with exotropia or binocular vision, said authors.

Led by Dr Zijin Wang, Nanjing Medical University, researchers recruited 300 children aged 6 to 12 years old with myopia of −0.50 to −6.00 diopters. Of these, 200 received 0.01% atropine drops nightly in both eyes for 12 months, while 100 received placebo. The mean accommodative amplitude (AA) change was −3.06D vs 0.12D in the atropine and placebo groups, respectively. The 0.01% atropine group also had a decrease in near magnitude of exodeviation, whereas the placebo group had an increase (−1.25 prism diopters (PD) vs 0.74PD, respectively).

Although their findings support the use of low-dose (LD) atropine in these children, AA was compromised to some extent, noted authors.