Purpose: To investigate the relationship between axial myopia and visual deprivation in patients with cataracts in their youth.
Methods: Forty myopic eyes of 25 cases had long deprivation of form vision due to cataracts during their youth. The axial length was measured by A-Scan ultrasound.
Results: The axial length is 2-6mm (mean: 3.7mm) longer than the other eyes in 10 patients with unilateral cataracts. Fifteen cases with bilateral cataracts had 25-29mm of axial length (mean of the right eyes 26.8mm and the left eyes: 26.7mm). Six cases with unilateral cataract had traumatic history at age from 2-9 years (mean: 5.1 years) and the duration of visual deprivation due to cataract was from 8 to 30 years (mean: 12 years). Thirteen cases with dilateral congenital cataract had 17.4 years (from 3 to 37 years) of visual deprivation.
Conclusion: The deprivation of form vision due to cataracts in childhood leads to increase in axial length and myopia.