[Significance of inflammatory diseases of otorhinolaryngological organs in etiology and pathogenesis of myopia in the Air Forces flying personnel].

Complex ophthalmologic examination (visorefracto- and accommodometry) and study of disease structure were conducted in 1189 persons of flying staff. In the main group (persons with myopia) LOR-diseases were noticed 3.6 times more often than in those without myopia. In pilots with myopic refraction chronic inflammatory diseases of palatine tonsils: chronic compensated (35.5%) and decompensated (27%) tonsillitis occur 7-12 times more often than in control group. Investigation of visual function has revealed that in the group of persons without the history of chronic tonsillitis the least degree of myopia, the greatest visual acuity without correction, the least value of progress gradient and minimal decrease in indices of relative and absolute accommodation were observed. In persons after tonsillectomy the mentioned parameters of visual functions are close to the values obtained in pilots without the history of chronic tonsillitis; only accommodative functions were practically twice decreased. Chronic tonsillitis causes the greater degree of myopia and gradient of its progress and respectively more lower visual acuity and significant decrease in accommodation indices (P < 0.05). Also it has been detected that if myopia was diagnosed in a year or more after tonsillectomy then myopia and degree of visual function disorders respectively were minimal. If the operation was performed in a year or more after myopia detection the disorders in visual functions were more expressed and myopia reached significantly higher values (P < 0.05).