To investigate the clinical effects of orthokeratology lens wear on inhibition of the progression of Korean myopia and astigmatism.

The authors reviewed out-patient records of 144 eyes of 74 patients wearing orthokeratology lenses. The cycloplegic refraction and keratometry before and after wearing the lens were compared. The 190 eyes wearing spectacles were included into the control group. We evaluated the relationship between orthokeratology lens wear and control group according to age, initial myopia, initial astigmatism, myopic progression, astigmatic progression and duration of orthokeratology lens wearing.

The mean cycloplegic refractive error of spherical equivalent was -3.36 ± 1.96 diopters (D) in the patients wearing orthokeratology lenses, the mean astigmatism was -0.86 ± 0.72 D, and the mean wearing period was 3.41 ± 1.5 years. The mean myopic progression was 0.25 ± 0.31 D in lens wearing, and 0.62 ± 0.39 D in glasses wearing, respectively. There were statistically significant differences between lens and glasses wearing group ( t -test, p < 0.01). The mean astigmatic progression was 0.06 ± 0.22 D in lens wearing, and 0.15 ± 0.21 D in glasses wearing control group respectively, and the results also show statistically significant differences ( t -test, p < 0.01). There were no relationships between two groups as for age, initial myopia, initial astigmatism and duration of orthokeratology lens wearing ( t -test, p > 0.01).

The orthokeratology lens was found to be effective in suppression of the progression of Korean myopia and astigmatism, compared with the glasses.