Long-term observation of the endothelium morphology and corneal thickness in myopic adolescents treated with orthokeratology: a 10-year retrospective study

AIM: To assess the long-term safety of orthokeratology (ortho-k) in myopic children by evaluating changes in corneal endothelial morphology and central corneal thickness (CCT) after prolonged ortho-k lens wear. METHODS: This study included 65 myopic children (130 eyes). The ortho-k group comprised 39 children who had worn ortho-k lenses for more than 10y. The control group included 26 children who wore single-vision spectacles for myopia correction. Clinical data and adverse events were documented throughout the follow-up period. Endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV) of cell area, percentage of hexagonal cells (%SIX), and CCT were measured at baseline and at the final follow-up visit. RESULTS: >0.05). CONCLUSION: This 10-year retrospective study demonstrates that long-term ortho-k lens wear has no significant adverse effects on corneal endothelial morphology or CCT compared with spectacle wear. Ortho-k shows excellent long-term safety with regard to corneal endothelial parameters and CCT, comparable to that of conventional spectacle correction in myopic children.