Peripheral retinal findings in a pediatric primary care optometry clinic and their associations with myopia: A 3‐year retrospective review

PURPOSE: This study aims to detail the frequency of peripheral retinal findings seen in pediatric patients in a primary care optometry clinic, and evaluate the relative frequency of abnormal and pathological peripheral retinal findings based on myopia magnitude. METHODS: An observational retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed records for 874 patients aged 6-17 years who received routine eye exams at an academic eye care clinic in Memphis, TN between January 2020 and July 2023. Demographic data, refractive error, and peripheral retinal findings, both pathological and non-pathological, were evaluated. Overall frequencies of retinal findings were assessed, and further contrasted between levels of myopia. RESULTS: Abnormal retinal findings were present in 177 participants (20.2%). Pathology was diagnosed in a total of 55 participants (6.3%). The frequency of abnormal peripheral retinal findings increased with myopia severity, with nearly half (44.8%) of patients with 3 or more diopters of myopia having at least one abnormal finding. Significant associations were found between myopia category and the presence of abnormal retinal findings (p < 0.0001), and between myopia category and retinal pathology (p < 0.0001), suggesting that children with 3 or more diopters of myopia have an elevated risk of peripheral retinal pathology detection compared to children with no myopia (odds ratio of 11.5, 95% CI: 4.8-27.8). CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the notable frequency of retinal findings in pediatric primary eye care patients. Peripheral retinal pathology is more common in pediatric patients with 3 or more diopters of spherical equivalent myopia, and present across all refractive error statuses. These results underscore the importance of a comprehensive dilated retinal evaluation in children, particularly those with myopia.