title: Oculometric characteristics of extreme hypermetropia in two faroese families.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and analyze the oculometric features of small eyes with high hypermetropia in two Faroese families, with emphasis on refractive components.
  
  
  METHODS
  Members of the two families (N=40; age, 1 to 77 years), including 15 cases of extreme hypermetropia (+7.5 to +19.25 D), had an ophthalmic evaluation including refractometry, keratometry, and axial ocular measurements using A-scan ultrasound. Eye-wall thickness was assessed using B-scan. Nonparametric statistics were used, mainly the Mann-Whitney U test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the two families, there were six and nine probands, respectively, with hypermetropia more than +7 D and short eyes as defined by axial eye lengths <21 mm. The median corrected visual acuity was 0.4 (range, 0.2 to 0.9). Gross fundus abnormalities were not observed. All 15 had a short posterior segment with a thick eye wall and a relatively thick lens. Furthermore, steep and rather small corneas were present. In one of the families, 70% of the affected had a corneal curvature radius of < or =7.0 mm. Five probands from family 2 were labeled as possibly affected because of hypermetropia and borderline axial length findings (21 to 22 mm). The remaining 20 subjects had visual acuity and oculometric findings within physiologic limits.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The axial measurement features in our series of highly hypermetropic eyes mainly presented as an extension downward from the hypermetropic bottom line of the normal distribution. The axial shortness of the eyes was primarily the result of a short posterior eye segment ("posterior microphthalmos"). A steep cornea was a feature in most small eyes in our series, particularly in one family branch.
authors.affiliation: The University Eye Department of Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark. RH03217@RH.DK
authors.forename: Hans Callø
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Fledelius
authors.forename: Helle Josefine
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001266:Atlantic Islands; D001699:Biometry; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003315:Cornea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003718:Denmark; D005123:Eye / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D006956:Hyperopia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007223:Infant; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D014463:Ultrasonography; D014792:Visual Acuity