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Corneal diameter and associated parameters in Chinese children: the Shandong Children Eye Study
Wen Jun Jiang1, Hui Wu1, Jian Feng Wu2
1Eye Institute of Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, Shandong, China.
Insights
Larger corneal diameter in children is linked to flatter corneal curvature and longer axial length. Corneal diameter was not associated with time spent indoors or outdoors.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Biometry
Background:
- Assessing corneal diameter and its associations in children is crucial for understanding ocular development.
- The Shandong Children Eye Study provides a valuable dataset for pediatric eye research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the horizontal corneal diameter in children aged 4-18 years.
- To identify factors associated with normal, abnormally large (macrocorneas), and abnormally small corneas.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional, school-based study involving 6,026 children.
- Horizontal corneal diameter measured using laser interferometry-based ocular biometry.
- Multivariate analysis to determine associations with corneal diameter.
Main Results:
- Larger corneal diameter (mean 12.02 ± 0.38 mm) associated with flatter corneal curvature, longer axial length, male gender, younger maternal age, rural habitation, and lower intraocular pressure.
- Macrocorneas (≥12.76 mm) linked to flatter curvature, longer axial length, younger maternal age, and male gender.
- Microcorneas (≤11.24 mm) correlated with steeper curvature, shorter axial length, and urban habitation.
Conclusions:
- Corneal diameter in children (4-18 years) is primarily associated with corneal curvature, axial length, and gender.
- Defined thresholds for macrocorneas (≥12.76 mm) and microcorneas (≤11.24 mm) were established.
- Corneal diameter showed no correlation with time spent indoors or outdoors.
Background:
To assess the corneal diameter and its associations in children.
Design:
Cross-sectional school-based study.
Participants:
Six thousand twenty-six children aged 4-18 years were included in the Shandong Children Eye Study.
Methods:
Horizontal corneal diameter was measured by laser interferometry-based ocular biometry.
Main Outcome Measures:
Horizontal corneal diameter.
Results:
Corneal diameter measurements were available for 5970 (99.1%) children. In multivariate analysis, larger horizontal corneal diameter (mean: 12.02 ± 0.38 mm; range: 10.1-15.0 mm) was associated with longer corneal curvature radius longer axial length, male gender, younger maternal age, rural region of habitation and lower intraocular pressure measurements. Higher prevalence of abnormally large corneas (macrocorneas; horizontal diameter ≥ 12.76 mm; mean value +2 × standard deviations; mean: 2.6%; 95% CI: 2.2, 3.0) was associated with longer corneal curvature radius, longer axial length, younger maternal age and male gender. Higher prevalence of abnormally small corneas (horizontal diameter ≤ 11.24mm; mean value -2 × standard deviations; mean: 2.4%; 95% CI: 2.0, 2.8) was correlated with shorter corneal curvature radius, shorter axial length and urban region of habitation. Neither abnormally large nor small corneas were correlated with time spent indoors/outdoors.
Conclusions:
In 4 to 18-year-old children, larger corneal diameter was associated most strongly with flatter corneal curvature, followed by longer axial length and male gender. Corneal diameter was independent of age beyond an age of 4 years. Abnormally large and abnormally small corneas may be defined as being ≥12.76 and ≤11.24 mm in diameter, respectively. Corneal diameter was not correlated with time spent indoors/outdoors.
