Abstract
Purpose :
To investigate limbal and corneal epithelial thickness and investigate their correlation using Anterior Segment Optic Coherence Tomography (OCT).
Methods :
Twenty eyes from 10 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. The central corneal epithelial thickness map, linear scans of the limbus at four locations, superior, inferior, nasal and temporal regions were obtained using spectral-domain OCT (Optovue Inc., Fremont, CA). Limbal epithelial thickness (LET) were measured manually at the thickness area in each of the four regions of the limbus. The corneal epithelium thickness (CET) map in the central (0-2 mm), paracentral (2-5 mm) and peripheral (5-6mm)) areas were obtained directly from the built-in analysis software of the OCT. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS program version 17 (SPSS Inc, Chicago, Illinois, USA).
Results :
The mean age of the normal subjects (7 female/3 male) was 35.2 ± 12.2 years. The mean CET was 53.5 ± 3.1 µm and LET in the superior, inferior, nasal and temporal limbal region were 116.8 ± 19.7 µm, 106.9 ± 23.5 µm, 95.3 ± 14.6 and 91.1 ± 13.2 µm, respectively. LET in the superior region was significantly thicker than that in nasal and temporal regions (p < 0.01), but there was no significant difference between LET in superior and inferior regions (p = 0.33). There was a significant positive correlation between CET (6 mm) and LET in the superior and inferior quadrants (p = 0.038 and p = 0.034, respectively). LET in the superior limbus was significantly correlated with CET in the superior, superonasal and superotemporal paracentral areas (p < 0.05).
Conclusions :
LET in the superior limbus is the thickest and correlated with the central and superior paracentral CET in normal subjects. AS-OCT could be utilized in the evaluation of cornea and limbal epithelial thickness in normal and pathologic conditions.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2016 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Seattle, Wash., May 1-5, 2016.