Efficacy of Atropine Eye Drops for Suppressing Myopia Progression in Thai Children

Objective: This retrospective cohort study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of low-dose atropine eye drops in retarding myopic progression among school-age children at Siriraj Hospital. Materials and Methods: The medical records of 247 myopia-diagnosed patients were reviewed. All patients were received low-dose atropine eye drops and had at least one follow-up visit within 1 year after the treatment initiation. Spherical equivalent (SE) measurements were collected at pre- and post-treatment visits, as well as any reported side effects. Comparing the SE changes observed between the pre- and post-treatment periods, as well as between the two different concentrations of atropine was analyzed. Results: A total of 493 eyes were analyzed, with 461 eyes receiving 0.01% atropine eye drops and 32 eyes being administered 0.05%. The demographic data between two groups showed no significant difference. The comparison of SE change one year prior to and one year after treatment in the 0.01% and 0.05% group yielded a p-value of less than 0.001 and 0.003, respectively, (SE change were -0.38 D (-0.75-0.00 D) and -0.25 D (-0.72-(-0.25 D)) in the 0.01% and 0.05% group, respectively). However, the between-group comparison of SE change at 6 months and 1 year showed no significant difference. Regarding side effects, one-third of the eyes (12 eyes) in the 0.05% group (37.5%) experienced adverse effects while only eight eyes (1.7%) in the 0.01% group reported side effects. Conclusion: This research contributes support to the effectiveness of employing low-dose atropine for the treatment of myopia in Thai children. However, the use of 0.05% atropine was associated with a higher incidence of side effects.