title: Early postnatal development of central corneal thickness in dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes in corneal thickness that occur during maturation of the canine eye over the first months of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  Dogs of two different breeds with ages ranging from 14 days to 42 weeks of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  The central corneal thickness was measured by ultrasonic pachymetry every week for the first month after eyelid opening (around 14 days) and then every month until 42 weeks of age. Segmented regression was applied to capture the two phases observed in the central corneal thickness plotted against age. Breed, eye and gender were also included in the model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean central corneal thickness (CCT) values initially decreased following eyelid opening, with the lowest point being reached at around 6 weeks of age. Then CCT gradually increased as the dogs matured. Differences between left and right eye were not significant. Breed and gender effects were significant factors in the statistical model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Following eyelid opening there is an initial decrease in corneal thickness until approximately 6 weeks of age, which presumably mirrors maturation of corneal endothelial cell function. After 6 weeks of age the CCT increases with age until approximately 30 weeks of age after which there was only a gradual increase over the remainder of the study period. A similar pattern of changes in corneal thickness in humans has been previously recorded.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, D-208 Veterinary Medical Center, East Lansing, MI 48824-1314, USA.
authors.forename: Fabiano
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Montiani-Ferreira
authors.forename: Simon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petersen-Jones
authors.forename: Nicholas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cassotis
authors.forename: David T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Ramsey
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gearhart
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cardoso
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001947:Breeding; D003315:Cornea / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000254:growth & development*; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000254:growth & development*; D014463:Ultrasonography