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2 - 3 Refrective Errors
2 - 3 Refrective Errors
10 mm
7.8 mm
Retina
13 mm
cornea lens
Accommodation
- the total refractive power (converging power) of normal eye (Emmetropic eye) is
60 diopters divided between the cornea and the lens. Definitely, the cornea sharing
in highest portion (43D) of this refracting power while the lens having power of
residual 17 D only. So, the cornea is more important than the lens regarding
focusing of light on the retina for the following 2 reasons:
1- the anterior surface of the cornea is steeper than that of the lens.
2- the light is transfer to the cornea passing through the air which having the least
refractive index (1.00) or (least density of any other material) while the light
transfer to lens passing through the aqueous humor (water) which having
refractive index higher than that of the air (1.33). The refractive index for the
cornea is 1.37 while the lens is 1.38.
The deviation of light (refraction) is more when it is passing between 2 media
having more deference in their refractive indices (density). So, the light is deviated
more (more convergence) when passing between air and cornea than when passing
between aqueous and the lens.
The difference in refractive index between cornea and air is: 1.37-1.0= 0.37
While between lens and aqueous is : 1.38-1.33= 0.05.
0.05 is much less than 0.37.
Etiological classification:
1- Axial Hypermetropia: shorter antero-posterior axial
accommodation
length, i.e. the eye has normal converging power (60D)
but its axial length is less than 24 mm.
2- Curvature Hypermetropia: due to decreased
curvature (flattening) of the cornea congenitally or as a By convex lens
result of trauma or disease e.g. corneal ulcer, microbial keratitis.
3- Index Hypermetropia: decrease in effective refractivity of the lens.
* the power of the lens depends on the difference between refractive indices of
the nucleus and cortex, so the more the difference the more converging power
and vise versa. In index Hypermetropia, there is decrement of the difference.
Clinical classification:
1- Facultative hypermetropia: hypermetropia corrected by accommodation
(depends on age and degree of refractive error).
2- Absolute hypermetropia: hypermetropia out of amplitude of accommodation
and corrected by glasses.
3- Manifest hypermetropia: maximum hypermetropia that can be corrected with a
convex lens with accommodation active, i.e. = Facultative + Absolute.
4- Latent hypermetropia: hypermetropia hidden behind ciliary body tone which
equal to the difference between total and manifest hypermetropia. The refractive
power of the ciliary bodydislocation
Posterior is about 1-1.5D
of the(usually
lens it considered as part of the
Aphacic
Phakic eye normal lens
Psudophacic artificial lens
refractive power of lens, i.e. 17D of lens = 16D + 1D (of the ciliary body tone), it
also decreases with age.
5- Total hypermetropia: amount of hypermetropia present with all
accommodation suspended (with cycloplegic drugs (e.g. Atropine,
Cyclopentolate and Homotropine) , to exclude accommodation and tone of ciliary
body) Manifest + Latent.
* With advancing age, the facultative will decrease and the manifest will be
represented by absolute only, and at the same time, the latent will also decrease
and the total will be represented by manifest only, so in old people the total is
made of the absolute only.
1- Blurred vision: for near work (as it needs more power) and even far vision if
the degree of hypermetropia is high and beyond the amplitude of accommodation.
2- Eye strain: headache due to excessive accommodation and dissociation
between Accommodative Convergence and Accommodation "AC/A.
* To see the near objects, the eye will show the near reflex, which consists of
accommodation, convergence and miosis. When one of these processes occur, it
will stimulate the other two.
Normally, for each 1D of accommodation, there will be associating 4 prism D
convergence (i.e. AC/A= 4 prism D /1D).
A normal eye to see an object at distance of 1/2 meter needs 2D and this in turn
will produce 8 prism D convergence, while an eye with 7D hypermetropia has at
rest 28 prism D convergence, so to see an object at 1/2 meter distance the 2D
needed will produce 8 prism D more, so totally there will be convergence 36
prism diopters for the same distance which is 1/2 meter.
3- General symptoms like nausea and fatigue.
Treatment:
a- Convex lens in spectacles (+ve lenses to increase refractive power).
b- Contact lenses.
c- Excimer laser photorefractive keratectomy: reshaping of the cornea to increase
the refractive power, each 1mm decrease in radius of curvature increases the
refractive power about 6 D.
e.g. photo refractive keratectomy (PRK), Laser in situ keratomileusis (Lasik)
d- Non-contact laser thermal keratoplasty (Holmium laser spots): to change the
corneal curvature.
e- Phakic Intraocular Contact lens (ICL). Implantable
Diopter: the reciprocal of the distance in meters from the reference light source in
air or vacuum, such that D= 1/(distance in meters).
Refractions should be fixed for 1 year
To do surgery
18 +
Myopia or short-sightedness:
That form of a refractive error where Far & myopia
parallel rays of light come to a focus in front
of the retina when the eye is at rest.
- As there is increase in the refractive
Near & myopia
power of the eye, the near objects (closer
than 6m) will be seen normally, while far
objects (whom rays come parallel) will be
focused in front of retina. By concave lens
Aetiological classification:
1- Axial myopia: anteroposterior length is longer than normal.
2- Curvature myopia: increased curvature of cornea, or one or both surfaces of
lens.
3- Index myopia: increased refractivity of lens, e.g. nuclear sclerosis (stage
before nuclear cataract), due increase the difference between refractive indices of
nucleus and cortex.
Clinical classification:
1- Simple (stationary): <6D, start after the age of 4y, stationary (stops before
20y), normal physiological variety and the VA can be corrected to 6/6.
2- Pathological (progressive): >6D, start before the age of 4y, progress even
after age of 20y, real pathological process and VA cannot be corrected to 6/6.
Etiological classification:
1- Curvature astigmatism: Most commonly, it is corneal, less commonly it is
lenticular (induced by lens). The cornea or the lens having unequal radii of
curvature.
2- Decentering astigmatism: subluxation of lens.
3- Index astigmatism: due to cataract in one meridian more than other.
Clinical classification:
1- Regular: two principle meridians at right angle are involved (i.e. there is
difference in the refractive power of two meridians 90° in between):
a- Simple astigmatism: myopic or hypermetropic; one of the foci falls on
retina, other in front or behind it.
b- Compound astigmatism: neither of the two foci lies upon retina, but are
both placed in front or behind retina (myopic or hypermetropic respectively).
c- Mixed astigmatism: one focus in front and other behind retina.
3 1 5 2 4
A1 A2
B1 B2