Central Corneal Thickness in Children

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: Intraocular pressure is one of the main components in the evaluation of glaucoma. Central corneal thickness is an important component in the assessment of intraocular pressure. Although various studies have documented the central corneal thickness (CCT) in adults, there have few prospective studies documenting the CCT in healthy children. This study attempts to address this point. Methods: In a prospective study carried out at the Harkness Eye Institute, the CCT of 50 eyes (25 pediatric patients) from newborn to age 12 was measured using the KeraSoniX 1000 Ultrasound Pachymeter. Children who had structurally normal eyes with no significant systemic or ocular pathology were included in the study. Children with congenital disorders or conditions affecting the eye were excluded. After the instillation of one drop of 0.5% proparacaine, three consecutive ultrasound pachymetry measurements were taken of the central corneal thickness of each eye. The average CCT of each eye was recorded along with age, race, sex, and refraction (when possible). The data was then analyzed by dividing the patients into four different age categories: 0–2 years, 3–6 years, 7–9 years, and 10–12 years. Results: The average CCT overall of the 50 eyes was 0.567± .039 mm. There were 12 females and 13 males included in the study, with the average age being 7.2 years of age. 68% of the study population was Hispanic, 4% was Black, 4% was Asian, and 24% "other." The average CCT for the different age groups was as follows: 0.535± .027 mm for 0–2 yrs of age, 0.551± .028 mm for 3–6 yrs of age, .565 ± 0.032 mm for 7–9 yrs of age, and 0.594 ± .040 mm for 10–12 yrs of age. Conclusions: These pilot data suggest that central corneal thickness in children may be thicker than in adults, and that CCT may increase with age during childhood. Additional prospective data collection will further clarify these issues.

Keywords: clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: systems/equipment/techniques • cornea: clinical science • visual development: infancy and childhood