From the Research
Lacquer Cracks in Children with Myopia
- Lacquer cracks are a complication of pathologic myopia, characterized by breaks in Bruch's membrane and loss of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) 1.
- The development of lacquer cracks is thought to be a result of passive stretch exerted upon Bruch's membrane and the capillary network due to abnormal enlargement of the myopic eyes 1.
- In a study of adolescent children with myopia, lacquer cracks were found to be rare, with a prevalence of only 0.1% 2.
- The study suggests that myopic macular changes, including lacquer cracks, may develop later in life 2.
- There is no specific information available on when lacquer cracks develop in children with myopia, but it is believed to occur as a result of prolonged myopia 1, 3.
- A study on the progression of lacquer cracks in pathologic myopia found that lacquer cracks progressed in 56.1% of eyes over a mean follow-up period of 6 years, often leading to advanced fundus changes such as patchy atrophy and choroidal hemorrhage with neovascular membrane 3.
Risk Factors and Associations
- A lower rate of macular pigment optical density (MPOD) was observed in cases of lacquer cracks in high myopia, suggesting a potential relationship between MPOD and the development of lacquer cracks 4.
- Lacquer cracks are generally believed to be relatively innocuous lesions by themselves, but progression to other features of myopic macular degeneration can result in irreversible visual impairment 5.
- The presence of lacquer cracks may indicate an unfavorable prognostic course, leading to macular pathology in patients with pathologic myopia 3.