Initial screening for occult congenital ectopia lentis based on ocular biological parameters in preschool children

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to identify an initial screening tool for congenital ectopia lentis (CEL) by comparing ocular biological parameters in children with myopia. METHODS: A retrospective case-control study was conducted at one tertiary referral centre, from October 2020 to June 2022. Axial length (AL), corneal curvature (CC), refractive astigmatism (RA), corneal astigmatism (CA), internal astigmatism (IA), the difference between the axis of RA and CA [AXIS(RA-CA)], white-to-white corneal diameter (WTW), and axial length-corneal radius ratio (AL/CR) were compared in 28 eyes of CEL patients, and 60 eyes of myopic patients matched for age and refraction. The spherical equivalent of each eye was < -3.00 D. Area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic curves were calculated. RESULTS: The differences in RA, AL, mean keratometry (Kmed), maximum keratometry (Kmax), minimum keratometry (Kmin), CA, IA, AXIS(RA-CA), WTW, and AL/CR between the CEL and myopic groups were statistically significant (p < 0.05; p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.05; p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001; p < 0.001, respectively). In logistic regression analysis RA, IA, AXIS(RA-CA), and AL/CR were significantly associated with CEL (p < 0.05). AUCs for RA, IA, AXIS(RA-CA), and AL/CR were 0.694, 0.853, 0.814, and 0.960, respectively. AUCs for AL/CR in SE< -6.00 D subgroup was 0.970, and 0.990 in -6.00 D ≤ SE < -3.00 D group. An AL/CR < 3.024 was the optimal cut-off point differentiating the CEL and control groups (sensitivity, 92.9%; specificity, 88.30%). CONCLUSIONS: A smaller AL/CR could identify CEL in children with myopia. An AL/CR cut-off value of 3.024 may be the most sensitive and specific parameter for the differential diagnosis of CEL in patients with mild to high myopia.