Central corneal thickness and severity of visual field loss in primary open-angle glaucoma

Abstract

Purpose: To determine whether central corneal thickness (CCT) is correlated to severity of visual field (VF) loss among patients of primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) at initial evaluation. Materials and Methods: One hundred and two eyes with POAG were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Humphrey field analysis, applanation tonometry, and CCT measurement were done in all subjects. Based on severity of VF loss, the sample was split into mild ( n = 55), moderate ( n = 21), and severe VF loss ( n = 26) as per Anderson-Patella criteria. For each of the three groups, calculated mean values were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA). Results: The sample contained 102 eyes of 102 patients which were divided into groups of mild, moderate, and severe VF loss. The mean (±standard deviation [SD]) CCT for Group I was 543.07 μm (±24.60), for Group II was 539.24 μm (±22.30), and for Group III was 536.11 μm (±22.86). The mean (±SD) mean deviation for Group I was –2.78 dB (±1.65), for Group II was −8.91 dB (±2.18), and for Group III was –21.47 dB (±5.98). When analyzed, the mean differences of CCT in patients with mild, moderate, and severe VF involvement were not statistically significant (ANOVA, P = 0.43). Conclusion: We failed to find any significant association between CCT and severity of VF defect in the eyes with POAG.