The Pathogenesis of Congenital Myopia

Abstract

Congenital myopia offers an unusual source material for the study of pathological myopia. While it is relatively rare, exhibiting an incidence of considerably less than 1%,^1-3 it is probably the "purest" form of the disease. Posterior sclerectasia is almost invariably found, and the numerous environmental factors which allegedly contribute to its pathogenesis can be reduced to a minimum. The children studied in this series, as in previous studies, are diagnosed several years after birth. It would, indeed, be more accurate to term the condition "perinatal sclerectatic myopia." However, the introduction of new terms, although more accurate, might only serve to confuse rather than clarify the subject. Materials and Methods A total of 66 cases of congenital myopia were examined for this study. The congenital nature of the disease was considered to be established by a history of nearsighted attitudes assumed by the child since early infancy in conjunction with