Corneal hysteresis and axial length among Chinese secondary school children: the Xichang Pediatric Refractive Error Study (X-PRES) report no. 4.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the association between corneal hysteresis and axial length/refractive error among rural Chinese secondary school children.


METHODS
Cross-sectional cohort study.


METHODS
Refractive error (cycloplegic auto-refraction with subjective refinement), central corneal thickness (CCT) and axial length (ultrasonic measurement), intraocular pressure (IOP), and corneal hysteresis (Reichert Ocular Response Analyzer) were measured on a rural school-based cohort of children.


RESULTS
Among 1,233 examined children, the mean age was 14.7 +/- 0.8 years and 699 (56.7%) were girls. The mean spherical equivalent (n = 1,232) was -2.2 +/- 1.6 diopters (D), axial length (n = 643) was 23.7 +/- 1.1 mm, corneal hysteresis (n = 1,153) was 10.7 +/- 1.6 mm Hg, IOP (n = 1,153) was 17.0 +/- 3.4 mm Hg, and CCT (n = 1,226) was 553 +/- 33 microns. In linear regression models, longer axial length was significantly (P < .001 for both) associated with lower corneal hysteresis and higher IOP. Hysteresis in this population was significantly (P < .001) lower than has previously been reported for normal White children (n = 42, 12.3 +/- 1.3 mm Hg), when adjusting for age and gender. This difference did not appear to depend on differences in axial length between the populations, as it persists when only Chinese children with normal uncorrected vision are included.


CONCLUSIONS
Prospective studies will be needed to determine if low hysteresis places eyes at risk for axial elongation secondary or if primary elongation results in lower hysteresis.
Song
Yue
Y
Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University, Shantou, PRC. sy@jsiec.org
Congdon
Nathan
N
Li
Liping
L
Zhou
Zhongxia
Z
Choi
Kai
K
Lam
Dennis S C
DS
Pang
Chi Pui
CP
Xie
Zhenling
Z
Liu
Xueyu
X
Sharma
Abhishek
A
Chen
Weihong
W
Zhang
Mingzhi
M
D000293:Adolescent; D044466:Asian People / Q000208:ethnology*; D002648:Child; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003315:Cornea / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004548:Elasticity; D005123:Eye / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012030:Refractive Errors / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*