[Optometric eye screening in schools : First epidemiological data for children and adolescents in grades 5-7]

Annually recurring optometric screening helps to identify children with increased axial growth and also to create awareness for wearing properly corrected glasses and for spending enough time outdoors, both of which are crucial for healthy eyes. The obtained biometric data help to expand the epidemiological information on myopia in schoolchildren, which is fundamental for the selection of the correct treatment.

Contact-free biometry of the eye was used to assess central corneal thickness, anterior chamber depth, lens thickness and axial length. Central choroidal thickness was manually assessed using optical coherence tomography (OCT). In addition, the mesopic and photopic pupil sizes were measured.

Biometric data were obtained from 257 (mean age 11.2 ± 1.1 years, 31.9% female, n = 82, 68.1% male, n = 175) out of a total of 274 examined children. Mean corneal radius (mean ± SD, female/male) was 7.74 ± 0.23 mm/7.89 ± 0.22 mm, central corneal thickness was 556.80 ± 31.31 µm/565.68 ± 33.12 µm, anterior chamber depth was 3.62 ± 0.28 mm/3.71 ± 0.25 mm, lens thickness was 3.48 ± 0.18 mm/3.46 ± 0.17 mm and axial length was 23.03 ± 0.88 mm/23.51 ± 0.88 mm. Choroidal thickness was assessed in 240 children and was 335.12 ± 60.5 µm. Mesopic and photopic pupil sizes were 6.38 ± 0.70 mm and 3.11 ± 0.63 mm, respectively.

The axial lengths found are consistent with the normal values for European children. A difference between male and female eyes could be observed. The repetition of these examinations in the future will enable the generation of growth charts.