Correlation analysis of angles κ and α with the refraction and anterior segment parameters in children

To investigate the correlation of angles α and κ with the refractive and biological parameters in children.

This case-series study included 438 eyes of 219 children (males/females = 105/114, age: 3-15 years). Ocular biometric parameters, including axial length, corneal radius of curvature (CR), white-to-white distance (WTW), angle κ and angle α, were measured using IOL Master 700; auto-refraction were assessed under cycloplegia. The eyes were assigned to different groups based on CR, WTW, and gender to compare the angles α and κ, and analyze the correlations between the differences of biological parameters on angles α and κ.

The means of axial length, CR, WTW, angle α, and angle κ were 23.24 ± 1.14 mm, 7.79 ± 0.27 mm, 11.68 ± 0.41 mm, 0.45 ± 0.25 mm, and 0.27 ± 0.22 mm, respectively. Angle α was correlated with CR and WTW (fixed effect coefficient [FEC] = 0.237, p = 0.015; FEC = -0.109, p = 0.003; respectively), and angle κ also correlated with CR and WTW (FEC = 0.271, p = 0.003; FEC = -0.147, p < 0.001, respectively). Comparing subgroups, the large CR and small WTW group had larger angles α (0.49 ± 0.27 vs. 0.41 ± 0.21, p < 0.001; 0.46 ± 0.27 vs. 0.44 ± 0.21, p < 0.05, respectively) and κ (0.29 ± 0.25 vs. 0.24 ± 0.15, p < 0.01; 0.29 ± 0.25 vs. 0.26 ± 0.19, p < 0.05, respectively). The differences in interocular angles α and κ showed correlation with interocular WTW (r = - 0.255, p < 0.001; r = - 0.385, p < 0.001). Eyes with smaller WTW tended to have larger angle κ (0.28 ± 0.27 vs. 0.25 ± 0.15, p < 0.05).

The size of angle α/κ may be correlated to CR and WTW, and a larger WTW eye may suggest a smaller angle κ compared with the fellow eye.