Young children show sun damage to eyes

Australian children as young as nine are showing signs of sun damage to their eyes, research suggests.

But the damage is not normally detectable by standard photographic methods commonly used by eye specialists.

University of NSW researchers photographed the eyes of 71 Sydney children aged three to 15, comparing standard methods with a new technique designed to capture the eye after illuminating it with ultraviolet (UV) light.

Although no changes were detected in children aged nine to 11 with standard photography, the scientists discovered damage in 29 per cent of them using the UV techniques.

In the 12- to 15-year age group, 81 per cent of the children had visible eye damage highlighted by UV light compared with 33 per cent found using normal light conditions.

"With standard photography ... in a lot of these patients you can see nothing. The eye looks to all intents and purposes normal," said ophthalmologist Minas Coroneo, of Sydney's Prince of Wales Hospital.

The standard methods picked up just seven cases of eye damage, consistent with a condition known as a pinguecula - a yellow, fatty deposit believed to be caused by sun exposure.

But once the eyes were illuminated with UV light, similar changes were detected in an extra 16 children.

Professor Coroneo supervised the study by Ju-Lee Ooi.

They hope to further the research by examining more children and comparing those in Brisbane and Hobart.

Eventually, they would like to follow children over time to see whether the changes are reversible.

"Part of what we're thinking here is that if we can see these changes on the eye early on, and the patient takes appropriate care, stays out of the sun, wears a hat, sunglasses and so on, we're hoping that some of these changes will revert back to normal," Prof Coroneo said in an interview.

"Or, if it's going to progress, it'll do so at a slower rate."

The research was published recently in the American Journal of Ophthalmology.

Prof Coroneo said the idea of using UV photography to pick up otherwise undetectable changes in the eye was based on a similar technique dermatologists use to find damage to the skin.

"In the long term, we envisage this study will lead to universal screening of children for precursors of UV damage to the eyes, performed using a portable device by a school teacher or nurse," the researchers wrote in the journal.

"We aim to increase the overall level of knowledge of the dangers of sun exposure to eyes among children, their families, and the community in general."

http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Young-children-show-sun-damage-to-eyes/2007/03/06/1141493592878.html

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