Pediatric central corneal thickness variation among major ethnic populations.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate differences in central corneal thickness (CCT) among African-American, Caucasian, and Hispanic pediatric populations with respect to race, age, and gender.


METHODS
Ultrasound pachymetry measurements were obtained on 208 eyes of 106 patients. Measurements from left eyes were used in data analysis. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) and two-tailed t-test were performed to determine the effect of race, age, and gender on CCT variation.


RESULTS
Mean central corneal thickness of left eyes in each ethnic group was African-Americans, 523 +/- 40 microm; Caucasians, 563 +/- 36 microm; and Hispanics, 568 +/- 44 microm. ANOVA performed on pachymetry values showed a significant effect of race on CCT (P = 0.00002). Mean Hispanic CCT was greater than mean African-American CCT (P = 0.0003), but was not significantly different from Caucasian CCT (P = 0.56). Mean Caucasian CCT was also greater than mean African-American CCT (P = 0.0001). The difference between mean male CCT (548 +/- 41 microm) and mean female CCT (563 +/- 44 microm) did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.07). When patients were stratified into age groups (<2 years, 2 to 4 years, 5 to 9 years, 10 to 18 years), CCT did not vary with age (P = 0.16).


CONCLUSIONS
Our study suggests there may be differences in CCT among different ethnic groups in the pediatric population, with African-Americans having thinner corneas than Caucasians and Hispanics.
Dai
Eric
E
The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston 77550, USA. erdai@utmb.edu
Gunderson
Charlise A
CA
D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American; D000367:Age Factors; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003315:Cornea / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D014463:Ultrasonography; D044465:White People