Patients with Intermittent Exotropia and Exophoria Exhibit Non-aggravated Lens Decentration After Orthokeratology Application: The Nanjing Strabismus Cohort

INTRODUCTION: There is a high prevalence of intermittent exotropia and exophoria in myopic populations, and orthokeratology is one of the effective interventions to control myopia progression in children. However, it is still obscure whether intermittent exotropia and exophoria children could wear orthokeratology without experiencing aggravated lens decentration. METHODS: This was a multi-center, prospective cohort study. A total of 123 myopic participants aged 8–14 years were recruited, where conditions of deviation included intermittent exotropia, exophoria, and orthophoria. Uncorrected visual acuity and corneal topography data were obtained at baseline and after 1 month of wearing orthokeratology lens. Lens decentration was analyzed in a MATLAB program. Magnitude of deviation and refractive errors were evaluated prior to orthokeratology treatment. Fisher’s exact test, ANOVA test, and univariate and multivariate linear regression models were established to evaluate the role of magnitude of deviation in lens decentration. RESULTS: There was no significant difference in magnitude and direction of lens decentration among three groups (magnitude: F = 1.25, P = 0.289; direction: Fisher = 9.91, P = 0.078). According to scale division of decentration, 1 (2.6%) intermittent exotropia subject, 2 (3.8%) exophoria subjects, and 1 (3.0%) orthophoria subject experienced severe decentration (Fisher = 1.10, P = 0.947). Inferotemporal decentration was most common among all subjects (intermittent exotropia 50.0%, exophoria 76.9%, orthophoria 72.7%). Univariate and multivariate linear regression analyses revealed that magnitude of deviation was not an independent risk factor for lens decentration [β = −0.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) −0.01–0.00, P = 0.180], while surface asymmetry index (SAI) (β = 0.21, 95% CI 0.02–0.40, P = 0.028) and surface regularity index (SRI) (β = −0.39, 95% CI −0.66 to −0.13, P = 0.004) had significant correlation with polar decentration. CONCLUSION: Patients with intermittent exotropia and exophoria exhibit non-aggravated lens decentration after orthokeratology application. Thus, lens decentration is not the concern for orthokeratology prescription.