Age and Sex Related Changes in Corneal Thickness and Anterior Corneal Curvature in Korean Young Population with Orbscan II Topography System

Abstract

This study investigated, using the Orbscan II topography system, the influence of age and sex related changes on the corneal thickness and anterior corneal curvature, more specifically the fine structure of the cornea, in a Korean young population. The Orbscan II topography system is a computer-assisted slit-beam scanning technology that can map the anterior section of the cornea. The mean central corneal thickness of all subjects was 547.532±44.529 µm. There was no statistical difference (p>0.5) in the mean central corneal thickness between males and females. Sex and age related changes in the mean central corneal thickness had no specific statistical difference (P>0.5). There was a negative correlation between the anterior corneal curvature and the central corneal thickness in all subjects, except for the twenty year olds. However, the thickness relationship between the mean central corneal and the eight paracentral corneal thicknesses had strong statistical differences in all subjects. Also age and sex related changes in the central corneal thickness and the anterior corneal curvature in all subjects had no statistically significant difference, except from 20-26 years old (p>0.05). This information could be a suitable reference basis for future studies in the young population of Asia and for the development of examination tools for corneal refractive surgery.