title: Analysis of age-dependence of the anterior and posterior cornea with scheimpflug imaging.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess keratometric and higher-order aberrations of the anterior and posterior cornea and their age-related changes.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study investigated one healthy eye of 227 patients (mean age: 55.15 ± 21.2 years; range: 16 to 90 years; 135 right eyes, 92 left eyes). Images were captured from each eye with Pentacam HR (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany) using automatic mode. Keratometric, astigmatism data, and corneal higher-order aberrations were analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With respect to laterality, no deviance was found in any of the parameters (P > .05). Mean refractive error was 0.52 ± 0.23 diopters. The level of astigmatism decreased significantly with advancing age for both the anterior and posterior corneal surfaces (P < .05). The overall root mean square of the higher-order aberration increased continuously with age (r = 0.517; P < .01), which can be explained by the combined effect of the increased in both the anterior and posterior corneal root mean square higher-order aberrations. Of the higher-order aberrations, the constant increase of the primary and secondary spherical aberration with aging (P < .01) is caused by the spherical aberration growth of the anterior surface. Apart from these, only the vertical coma aberration of the posterior surface and the vertical trefoil aberrations of both the anterior and posterior surfaces showed a significantly positive correlation with aging (P < .05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Corneal astigmatism showed a significant decrease with aging. Of the higher-order aberrations, primary and secondary spherical aberrations, vertical coma, and vertical trefoil significantly increase with age, whereas other higher-order aberrations show no correlation with aging.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Medical and Health Science Center, University of Debrecen, Hungary. nemeth222@yahoo.com
authors: Gabor
authors: G
authors: Nemeth
authors: Ziad
authors: Z
authors: Hassan
authors: Eszter
authors: E
authors: Szalai
authors: Andras
authors: A
authors: Berta
authors: Laszlo
authors: L
authors: Modis
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D001251:Astigmatism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D063171:Corneal Pachymetry; D057108:Corneal Wavefront Aberration / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004728:Endothelium, Corneal / Q000502:physiology*; D019573:Epithelium, Corneal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010781:Photography / Q000295:instrumentation; D055815:Young Adult