Outcomes Of Photorefractive Keratectomy Refractive Treatments In Patients With Infantile Nystagmus Syndrome

To evaluate visual and refractive outcomes after Photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) in patients with infantile nystagmus syndrome.

Private tertiary refractive surgery center

Retrospective pre–post analysis of patients with nystagmus undergoing PRK. Visual acuity (UCVA, BCVA; logMAR) and refractive error (sphere, cylinder, spherical equivalent [SE]) were assessed preoperatively and postoperatively. Because both eyes were available for most patients, the primary sensitivity analysis used patient-level averages (OD/OS) to avoid within-subject correlation. Paired t-tests with 95% confidence intervals were used to evaluate changes; additional nonparametric tests were used as supportive analyses.
Results:

Fifteen patients (30 eyes) were included. Mean UCVA improved from 1.03±0.26 logMAR preoperatively to 0.34±0.14 logMAR postoperatively (mean change −0.69 logMAR; 95% CI −0.89 to −0.48; p=0.0007). Mean BCVA improved from 0.44±0.10 to 0.29±0.14 logMAR (mean change −0.16 logMAR; 95% CI −0.22 to −0.10; p=0.00010). Mean SE improved from −3.32±4.41 D to −0.38±0.79 D (mean change +2.95 D; 95% CI +0.13 to +5.77; p=0.0418). Postoperatively, 57.1% of patients achieved mean SE within ±0.50 D and 78.6% within ±1.00 D; 100% achieved mean UCVA ≤0.5 logMAR. Mean binocular UCVA and BCVA improved from 1.03±0.22 and 0.447±0.092 logMAR preoperatively to 0.28±0.17 and to 0.24±0.135 logMAR postoperatively, respectively (p=0.0007).

PRK in patients with nystagmus was associated with significant improvements in both uncorrected and best-corrected visual acuity and a clinically meaningful reduction in refractive error, with the majority achieving postoperative SE within ±1.00 D.