ĐẶC ĐIỂM LOẠN THỊ KHÚC XẠ Ở TRẺ EM TỪ 6 ĐẾN 15 TUỔI TẠI THÀNH PHỐ HỒ CHÍ MINH

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics and severity distribution of refractive astigmatism, and to evaluate its impact on best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) in children. Subjects and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 1164 eyes of 582 children aged 6 to 15 years in Ho Chi Minh City in 2025. All children underwent cycloplegic autorefraction using 1% cyclopentolate, BCVA assessment, corneal topography, and axial length measurement. Results: The mean age of the sample was 10.20 ± 2.68 years. The prevalence of refractive astigmatism was 60.4%, with with-the-rule astigmatism being predominant (92.2%). Moderate astigmatism was the most common (27.5%), followed by mild (15.3%), severe (10.4%), and extreme (7.2%). Mean BCVA decreased as the degree of astigmatism increased, from 0.005 LogMAR in the non-astigmatic group to 0.048 LogMAR in the extreme group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Astigmatism is a very common refractive error in children, primarily mild to moderate with with-the-rule astigmatism being predominant. Higher degrees of refractive astigmatism are associated with decreased best-corrected visual acuity, particularly in severe and very severe cases.