Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: to compare the corneal thickness of patients suffering from congenital glaucoma and aphakic glaucoma with that of healthy patients. To seek a relation between corneal pachymetry, axial length, keratometry, refraction and visual acuity in these two groups of patients. Methods: a group of 30 eyes of 16 patients suffering from congenital glaucoma was compared with a reference group of 32 eyes of 16 patients followed for a strabism or a pathology of the lacrymal ways. A group of 12 eyes of 6 patients suffering from aphakic glaucoma was compared with a reference group of 18 eyes of 9 patients followed for a strabism or a pathology of the lacrymal ways. Among these patients were measured: central corneal pachymetry, axial length, average keratometry, objective refraction, intraocular pressure (IOP) and best visual acuity. Results: there is no significant difference between the groups of glaucomatous patients and the reference group according to the age and the sex. The average corneal pachymetry of the group of congenital glaucoma is 590.3 +–47.1 µm vs 529.5+–25.7 µm for the reference group, significantly higher (p < 0.001).There is a significant correlation between corneal pachymetry, axial length (r = 0.60), refraction (r = –0.63), keratometry (r = –0.54) and visual acuity (r = –0.42). It is not found significant correlation between pachymetry and IOP (r = 0.27; patients treated). The average corneal pachymetry of the group of aphakic glaucoma is 720.6 +–72.4 µm vs 532.8+–16.1 µm for the reference group, significantly higher (p < 0.001).There is a significant correlation between corneal pachymetry, axial length (r = 0.69) and refraction (r = –0.83); but it is not found significant correlation between pachymetry and IOP (r = 0.02; patients treated), or between pachymetry, keratometry (r = –0.37) and visual acuity (r = –0.35). Conclusions: the central corneal pachymetry of the patients suffering from congenital glaucoma or aphakic glaucoma is significantly higher than that of healthy patients. This concept is important for the interpretation of the IOP measured among these patients and therapeutic decisions.
Keywords: cornea: clinical science • intraocular pressure • anterior segment