Effect of Anjana Kriyakalpa in refractive errors: Evaluation through refraction and corneal topography indices - A case series

Abstract

Refractive errors, a significant cause of visual impairment, is becoming increasingly prevalent in India, particularly among school children. This case series describes the effects of Pathyadi Varti Anjana, an Ayurvedic herbo-mineral formulation, in refractive errors associated with distant vision. Three patients with varying degrees of myopia and myopic astigmatism were treated with Pathyadi Varti applied as Anjana, twice daily for a period of three to six weeks. Parameters including Visual Acuity (VA), Objective Refraction (OR), Clinical Refraction (CR), and corneal topography metrics such as Simulated Keratometry (Sim K's), Shape Factor (SF), Corneal Irregularity Measurement (CIM), Toric Keratometric Mean (TKM), Root Mean Square (RMS), and PathFinder II Normalcy (PathFII) were assessed before and after treatment. The results demonstrated improvements in unaided VA, reductions in spherical and cylindrical refractive errors, and enhancements in corneal surface regularity and wavefront aberrations across all cases. These findings suggest that Pathyadi Varti Anjana may offer a promising Ayurvedic approach to the management of refractive errors, supporting its potential role in contemporary ophthalmic practices.