title: Central corneal thickness among Aboriginal people attending eye clinics in remote South Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the central corneal thickness (CCT) and its demographic associations among Aboriginal people attending eye clinics in remote South Australia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A clinic-based cross-sectional study was conducted involving opportunistic sampling of patients. Eligible participants underwent measurement of CCT by ultrasound pachymetry. The results were compared with a group of Caucasian control patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients (189) who were invited to participate in the study had their CCT measured. The mean age was 44.8 +/- 14.5 years, and women comprised 57.7% of the sample. The control group consisted of 115 Caucasian participants. The mean age was 47.1 +/- 14.8 years, and women accounted for 55.7% of the sample. Mean CCT for Aboriginal participants was 514.9 +/- 30.5 microm in the right eye and 515.6 +/- 30.5 microm in the left eye (t = 1.1, P = 0.3). Mean right CCT for Caucasian participants was 544.6 +/- 31.9 microm and mean left CCT in this group was 547.1 +/- 32.2 microm (t = 4.6, P < 0.001). There was a significant difference between the right (t = 8.4, P < 0.001) and left (t = 8.8, P < 0.001) CCT of Aboriginal and Caucasian participants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CCT among Aboriginal patients attending eye clinic in remote South Australia was significantly thinner than that of a Caucasian control group. Thinner corneas among this group of Aboriginal patients may indicate a need to adjust intraocular pressure according to CCT and to be more vigilant for glaucoma.
authors.affiliation: South Australian Institute of Ophthalmology, Royal Adelaide Hospital, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. shane_durkin@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Shane R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Durkin
authors.forename: Edwin W H
authors.initials: EW
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Casson
authors.forename: Dinesh
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Selva
authors.forename: Henry S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Newland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001837:Body Weights and Measures; D003315:Cornea / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005901:Glaucoma / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013021:South Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular; D014463:Ultrasonography; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data