Changes in Corneal Thickness in Congenital Glaucoma, Using Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography

Abstract

Purpose: We examined corneal thickness, particularly morphological changes in the limbus, as the intraocular pressure increased in patients with congenital glaucoma.Methods: We retrospectively studied 31 children (47 eyes) with congenital glaucoma and 12 controls (12 eyes). We used anterior segment tomography to measure corneal thicknesses at the center, the midpoint of the 2-5 mm pericentral zone, the corneo-limbal junction, and the scleral spurs on the nasal and temporal sides. The peripheral central corneal thickness ratios were calculated and analyzed using a generalized estimation equation.Results: The cornea was significantly thinner in the glaucoma than in the control group. The difference was more prominent in the periphery than the center. Associated with such peripheral thinning, the corneal thickness ratios at the corneal-limbal junction and the center differed significantly between the two groups.Conclusions: In congenital glaucoma patients, the cornea is generally thinner than that of the controls, particularly at the corneo-limbal junction, suggesting that the limbus is biomechanically susceptible to deformation by intraocular pressure.