Abstract
Purpose:
To determine the difference of corneal biomechanical Properties and central corneal thickness (CCT) between pregnant and non-pregnant women.
Methods:
This is a prospective case control study. Twenty six non-pregnant women and twenty six pregnant women with no ocular pathology or systemic diseases were recruited. Corneal hysteresis (CH) and the corneal resistance factor (CRF) were measured with the Ocular Response Analyzer and the CCT was measured with an ultrasonic pachymeter.
Results:
Twenty six eyes of 26 non-pregnant women (30.3 ± 3.8, range 23-38) and 26 eyes of 26 pregnant women (31.5 ± 2.9, range 24-38) were included. CCT was not different between two groups (Non-pregnant vs. pregnant: 553.8 ± 26.3vs. 547.5 ± 29.4, P > 0.05). The CH was slightly lower in pregnant group but it was not statistically significant (11.1 ± 1.7 vs. 10.7 ± 1.6, P > 0.05). On the other hand, the CRF was statistically lower in the pregnant group (10.2 ± 1.7 vs. 9.2 ± 1.4, P = 0.03).
Conclusions:
The CCT and CH were not statistically different between pregnant and non-pregnant women. The CRF was significantly lower in the pregnant group. Change of hormone may influence the corneal biomechanical properties in pregnant women.
Keywords: 479 cornea: clinical science •
550 imaging/image analysis: clinical