Dr. Hedergott honored for Best Presentation at RWA Meeting

Priv.-Doz. Dr. Andrea Hedergott from the Department of Ophthalmology at University Hospital Cologne has been awarded the prize for the best presentation in the session “Kinderophthalmologie und Okuloplastik” at the 187th Meeting of the “Verein Rheinisch-Westfälischer Augenärzte” (RWA).

Her presentation, titled “Hohe Myopie im frühen Kindesalter – Woran müssen wir denken?”, highlighted the fact that significant nearsightedness in toddlers and preschool-aged children is highly unusual and may be an early sign of an ocular or systemic underlying condition. Potential causes include prematurity, connective tissue disorders (such as Marfan, Stickler, or Ehlers-Danlos syndromes), hereditary retinal diseases, eye conditions like congenital glaucoma or lens abnormalities, and various syndromic disorders.

Ophthalmologists and orthoptists play a crucial role in the early diagnosis and treatment of unilateral or bilateral high myopia. Timely recognition of clinical and historical indicators of possible coexisting conditions—ocular or systemic—is essential to initiate appropriate further evaluation and management, including pediatric involvement where necessary.