AIM: To explore the application of 10g/L cyclopentolate chloride eye drops in children, and to compare the different effectiveness of cycloplegia between 10g/L cyclopentolate chloride and atropine in Chinese children.

METHODS: A total of 236 eyes of 118 children aged 3～12 years old were enrolled in this study including 80 eyes of 40 children with myopia, 156 eyes of 78 children with hyperopia and 146 eyes of 73 children combined with astigmatism. 10g/L cyclopentolate chloride eye drops were used once per 5min for 3 times and refractive diopter was obtained 1h after the last drop of cyclopentolate. Three days after that, 10g/L atropine was then used 1 time per night for 1wk and optometry was performed again. The children were divided into 3 groups(myopia, hyperopia and astigmatism group)according to the refractive status, in which astigmatism was independent of the degree of separation of cylinder statistics. The results of retinoscope refraction were then compared between 10g/L cyclopentolate and 10g/L atropine.

RESULTS: The refractive diopter was -2.25±1.31D after 10g/L cyclopentolate eye drops and -2.23±1.32D after 10g/L atropine in myopic group. The refractive diopter was 1.35±1.19D and 1.38±2.00D in astigmastic group. No significant difference was found in myopic group and astigmastic group(P=0.109, P=0.374). While in the hyperopic group, the refractive diopter was 3.76±2.4D after 10g/L cyclopentolate eye drops, which was lower than that after 10g/L atropine 4.39±2.6D(P=0.000).

CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that 10g/L cyclopentolate chloride eye drops can be used in myopia and astigmatism children, and 10g/L atropine should be used in hyperopia children.