Normal values for intercanthal distances of 5- to 11-year-old American blacks

From measurement of the distances between the medial canthi, lateral canthi, and the pupils of 580 black boys and 639 black girls, we present values for these dimensions for 5- to 11-year-old normal subjects. With use of the cranial circumference, we also give normal values for two clinically used indices, the canthal and the circumference-interorbital. Compared with previously published standards, the intercanthal and interpupillary values for black boys significantly exceed those of white boys with only three exceptions involving interpupillary distance, and the values for black girls exceed those of white girls with just two exceptions, one each of the lateral canthal and interpupillary distances. Thus, we suggest that the measurements of a patient be compared with normal standards specific for race as well as age and sex. In contrast, values for neither the canthal nor the circumference-interorbital index of the blacks differed from values available for whites. Consideration of the position of eyes is relevant to the diagnosis of a large number of syndromes.