The most likely effective treatment to slow myopia progression thus far is anti-muscarinic topical medication. However, side effects of these medications include light sensitivity and near blur. Also, they are not yet commercially available, so their use is limited and not practical. Further information is required for other methods of myopia control, such as the use of corneal reshaping contact lenses or bifocal soft contact lenses (BSCLs) with a distance center are promising, but currently no published randomized clinical trials exist.
Comparison of the effect of atropine and cyclopentolate on myopia.
We evaluated the effectiveness of cycloplegics in the treatment of myopia. Patients were selected randomly and divided into three groups: Group 1 received atropine 1% eye drops every other night; Group 2 received cyclopentolate 1% eye drops every night; and Group 3 received normal saline eye drops every night. All the patients were rechecked every three months. The results were evaluated at the end of one year. Ninety-six patients were evaluated, 32 in each group. The mean myopic progression was -0.219 D in the atropine group, -0.578D in the cyclopentolate group, and -0.914D in the saline group. Analysis showed that atropine and cyclopentolate are effective in slowing the progression of myopia. The effect of atropine is better than that of cyclopentolate.