Orbito-ocular soft tissue measurements in young adults--an indigenous Negro population study

This study was named at determining normal orbital soft tissue parameters in young adults in an indigenous black population.

Prospective study on consentimg young adults in a Nigerian University with no previous orbito-facial trauma/surgery, strabismus, ptosis, telecanthus, and history of neurological diseases or previous ocular trauma were excluded. The age, sex and height of each participant were recorded. With the aid of a manual Sliding Vernier Caliper, the inner canthal distance (ICD), outer canthal distance (OCD), right horizontal palpebrae fissure length (RHPFL), left horizontal palpebrae fissure length (LHPFL). The results were imputed, analyzed and reported as simple frequency, means and standard deviations using the SPSS version 11 and statistical significant accepted at P < 0.05.

Two hundred and four of participants of which 136 (66.7%) were males constituted the study population. Their ages ranged between 17-38 years with a mean and standard deviation of 23.6 ± 3.2 years. Their height ranged from 1.43-1.94 m with a mean and standard deviation of 1.70 ± 0.81 m. The mean and standard deviation for OCD, ICD, RHPFL and LHPFL were 99.6 ± 5.5 mm, 36.5 ± 3.3 mm, 32.5 ± 1.8 mm and 31.7 ± 1.9 mm, respectively. The range and mean ICD (28.2-45.4 mm and 36.5 mm) is greater than the range and mean palpebrae fissure lengths in either eye. Statistcally significant gender based differences were recorded in the mean OCD and ICD with higher values in in males.

Normal soft tissue orbit-ocular parameters are presented for young adults in the population showing statistically significant mean larger values for males compared with female subjects.