Ophthalmology national normative database series (4): Normal ranges of interorbital anthropometric values in healthy sudanese children

Abstract

Background: The knowledge of the normal ranges of interorbital anthropometric values among schoolchildren aged 6–15 years is very important because normal values of facial measurements, inner canthal distance (ICD), outer canthal distance (OCD), canthal index, and circumferential interorbital index are useful parameters in the evaluation and treatment of congenital or posttraumatic deformities of the cephalic and facial regions such as telecanthus, ocular hypotelorism, and craniosynostosis. Objective: To assess the normal ranges of interorbital anthropometric values in schoolchildren and to measure the interorbital distances and to define the effects of age and gender in Al-Shifa area, Khartoum State. Materials and Methods: Systematic interorbital anthropometric measurements were done in 980 schoolchildren aged 5–16 years. Measurements of far Interpupillary Distance (FIPD), Near Interpupillary Distance (NIPD), Outer Canthal Distance (OCD) and Inner Canthal Distance (ICD) were taken in all study population. Comparisons were made between their gender and age using the Chi-square test. Results: In total, 980 individuals were studied. Out of these, 675 (68.9%) individuals were boys and 305 (31.1%) were girls. The mean age of the study group was 9.47 ± 2.71 years; there was a statistically significant difference in all measurements (P Conclusion: Significant interorbital measurement differences were found between Sudanese children according to gender and age. The present study suggests that age and gender should be considered in Sudanese children in any orbital surgery. To individualize the treatment planning and diagnosis, it is important for the surgeons to have a knowledge of these local Sudanese interorbital norms.