Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To determine whether objectively measured bulbar redness in a group of individuals with self reported red eyes is age and/or gender related. Methods: 91 subjects (29 male, 62 female) with self reported bulbar redness were enrolled in a study. Chromaticity of the bulbar conjunctiva was measured in CIE u’ units with a Photoresearch Spectrascan650® Photometer under controlled illumination conditions. Retrospectively, the subjects were grouped into different age and gender categories: · young = 18-26 years old (n=33) o young and male (n=10) o young and female (n=23) · medium = 27-44 years old (n=29) o medium and male (n=13) o medium and female (n=16) · mature = 45-81 years old (n=29) o mature and male (n=6) o mature and female (n=23) Data analysis comprised one-way ANOVA and Tukey HSD post hoc tests. Results: Bulbar redness depended on age (F(2, 88)=5.2607, p=0.007) and was highest in the mature group, and lowest in the young group (p=0.005). The conjunctivas of the male subjects were more red than the female (F(1, 89)=12.215, p=0.001). A significant difference of objective redness was found between some of the age/gender subgroups (F(5, 85)=5.8730, p=0.000), with the largest difference between young females (least red) and mature male subjects (p=0.002). Conclusions: Age and gender affect objectively measured bulbar redness in this group of individuals. Young female subject’s eyes were least red, whereas mature males had the reddest eyes.
Keywords: conjunctiva • injection • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: sys