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. 2010 May;3(2):75-80.
doi: 10.4103/0974-620X.64231.

Correlation of central corneal thickness and optic nerve head topography in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

Tharwat H Mokbel  1 , Asaad A Ghanem
Affiliations

Correlation of central corneal thickness and optic nerve head topography in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma

Tharwat H Mokbel et al. Oman J Ophthalmol. 2010 May.

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate whether changes in optic nerve head topography and visual field in patients with primary open-angle (POAG) are related to central corneal thickness (CCT).

Materials and methods: Eighty eyes of 50 patients with POAG underwent ophthalmic examination; optic nerve head imaging with the Heidelberg Retina Tomography II (HRT II), ultrasound corneal pachymetry, and visual field evaluation with the Humphrey visual field analyser (program 24-2). Correlation between CCT, age, gender, family history of glaucoma, visual acuity, intraocular pressure (IOP), optic disc surface area, vertical and horizontal cup: disc ratios, neuroretinal rim area, mean deviation of visual field, and number of glaucoma medications was analyzed. Patients were divided into a thin CCT group <540 μm or a thick CCT group >540 μm. Pearson correlation was used for correlation coefficient and a P value of <0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results: THIN CCT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY CORRELATED WITH VERTICAL AND HORIZONTAL CUP: disc ratios, neuroretinal rim area loss, and smaller optic disc surface area (r=0.043, r=0.021, r=0.036, and 0.031 respectively). Thin CCT was also significantly associated with worsened mean deviation of visual field, and increased number of glaucoma medications (r=0.065 and r=0.423). Patients with positive family history correlated with with greater vertical cup: disc ratio, and more glaucoma medications but this was not statistically significant.

Conclusions: In patients with POAG those with thinner CCT are likely to develop greater glaucomatous optic nerve and visual field damages than those with a thicker CCT.

Keywords: Central corneal thickness; optic nerve head; primary open angle glaucoma; visual field.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: None declared

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Female 55 years with primary open angle glaucoma showing (a) right optic disc photography with cup:disc ratio=0.7, (b) inferior altitudinal visual field defect with superior temporal arcuate schotoma, (c) HRT outside normal limits
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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