title: Corneal biomechanical properties during the menstrual cycle.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if corneal biomechanical properties change during phases of the menstrual cycle.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-five healthy women of reproductive age with no ocular pathology or systemic diseases were recruited. Corneal hysteresis, corneal resistance factor, Goldman-correlated intraocular pressure, and corneal-compensated intraocular pressure were measured by a Reichert ocular response analyzer at three phases of the menstrual cycle, beginning on days 3 to 5 (follicular phase), again at ovulation (days 14-16, ovulatory phase), and at the end of the cycle (days 25-28, luteal phase).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-one participants completed the study. The mean corneal hysteresis values at follicular, ovulatory, and luteal phases were 10.7, 10.7, and 10.7 mmHg (p > 0.05), and the mean corneal resistance factor values at the same time points were 9.9, 9.9, and 9.8 mmHg (p > 0.05), respectively. Corneal-compensated intraocular pressure and Goldman-correlated intraocular pressure readings were stable during the course (p > 0.05 for all).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corneal biomechanical properties and intraocular pressure as measured by an ocular response analyzer do not change statistically significantly during the different phases of the menstrual cycle. We conclude that measurements of the ocular response analyzer can be safely utilized in healthy female subjects without considering the possible effects of varying hormonal levels during the menstrual cycle.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical Faculty, Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey. gseymeno@gmail.com
authors.forename: Göktuğ
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seymenoğlu
authors.forename: Esin F
authors.initials: EF
authors.lastname: Baser
authors.forename: Nehir
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zerdeci
authors.forename: Ceren
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gülhan
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena / Q000502:physiology*; D003315:Cornea / Q000502:physiology*; D004547:Elastic Tissue / Q000502:physiology*; D004548:Elasticity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007429:Intraocular Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008597:Menstrual Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D014065:Tonometry, Ocular