Correlations between ocular optical components, height and head circumference

Abstract

Correlations between the ocular optical components, height and head circumference were investigated in 144 subjects. Refraction had a higher correlation with axial length than with corneal curvature. On the other hand, height and head circumference had a higher correlation with corneal curvature than with axial length. These results express the dependence of refraction on the axial length and suggest a similarity between corneal and skeletal growth, compared with the relatively independent elongation of the eye. Refraction correlated significantly with head circumference but not with height, relations which may be explained by considering some of the optical components that determine refraction, rather than treating refraction as a single factor.