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Central corneal thickness and its relationship to intraocular pressure in children
Kelly W Muir1, Jing Jin, Sharon F Freedman
1Duke University Eye Center, Durham, North Carolina 27710, USA.
Insights
Central corneal thickness (CCT) is greater in children with ocular hypertension. Pediatric corneal thickness correlates with adult values and may be thinner in Black children compared to White children.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Glaucoma Research
Background:
- Central corneal thickness (CCT) is a key predictor of glaucomatous damage.
- Pediatric corneal thickness data is limited, despite adult thickness being reached by age 3.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between CCT and intraocular pressure (IOP) in children.
- To compare CCT in pediatric ocular hypertension versus normal subjects.
- To assess racial differences in pediatric CCT.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective chart review of 69 pediatric patients (1997-2001).
- Ultrasound pachymetry used for CCT measurement.
- Patients categorized into control, glaucoma, glaucoma suspect, and ocular hypertension groups.
Main Results:
- Average CCT: Controls 555±37 µm, Glaucoma 563±33 µm, Suspects 559±39 µm, Ocular Hypertension 595±39 µm.
- Significant difference in CCT between control and ocular hypertensive groups (P<0.02).
- No significant difference in CCT between Black (537±36 µm) and White (564±28 µm) control subjects (P=0.125).
Conclusions:
- Pediatric ocular hypertension is associated with greater CCT.
- Pediatric CCT values align with adult measurements.
- A trend suggests thinner corneas in Black children compared to White children.
Objective:
Central corneal thickness (CCT) has emerged as an important predictive factor for the development of glaucomatous damage. Although a child's cornea reaches adult thickness by the age of 3, little has been reported about normal CCT measurements in eyes of children. We wished to test the hypotheses that (1) there is a correlation between increasing CCT and increasing intraocular pressure (IOP) in the eyes of children, (2) the CCT in the eyes of children with ocular hypertension is greater than that in eyes of normal pediatric subjects, and (3) the average CCT of black children is less than that of white children.
Methods:
We performed a retrospective chart review of 69 pediatric patients seen in the office of one ophthalmologist between January 1997 and December 2001 in whom CCT was measured by ultrasound pachymetry. We categorized the subjects into diagnostic groups of controls, glaucoma, glaucoma suspects, and ocular hypertension based on IOP, cup-to-disc ratio, and visual field parameters.
Results:
The average CCT for the control patients was 555+/-37 microm; for patients with glaucoma, it was 563+/-33 microm; for glaucoma suspects, 559+/-39 microm; and for those with ocular hypertension, 595+/-39 microm. The difference between the control and ocular hypertensive groups was significant (P<0.02). The difference in CCT between the black control subjects and the white ones (537+/-36 microm vs. 564+/-28 microm) was not statistically significant (P = 0.125).
Conclusions:
Central corneal thickness is greater in children with ocular hypertension than in control subjects or those with glaucoma, and the values for CCT in these children correlate closely with values reported for adults. Corneas of black children may be thinner than the corneas of white children.
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