Limited myopia progression in CSNB patients may guide treatment approaches

Children with congenital stationary night blindness (CSNB) experience rapid progression toward myopia in early childhood, but their refractive error stabilizes significantly after the age of 4, according to a study.

The study retrospectively analyzed 295 refraction measurements from 127 patients with CSNB—48 with “complete” CSNB (CSNB1) and 79 with “incomplete” CSNB (CSNB2). None of the participants had undergone myopia control treatments.

The refractive error shifted rapidly toward myopia in the early years of life. However, after age 4, progression slowed significantly, with an average annual change of just -0.12 diopters until age 15, after which refraction remained stable. By the last measurement, 100% of patients with CSNB1 and 84% of those with CSNB2 aged over 4 were myopic.

Reference
Poels MMF, de Wit GC, Bijveld MMC, et a. Natural Course of Refractive Error in Congenital Stationary Night Blindness: Implications for Myopia Treatment. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2024;65(14):9. doi: 10.1167/iovs.65.14.9. PMID: 39625438; PMCID: PMC11620013.