title: International Values of Central Pachymetry in Normal Subjects by Rotating Scheimpflug Camera.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In corneal refractive surgery, postoperative ectasia risk assessment routinely includes pachymetric analysis at the apex and thinnest point. We examined whether these data differ worldwide and constructed preliminary country-specific normative thresholds.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a multicenter, cross-sectional study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using the Pentacam Eye Scanner (OCULUS GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany), we examined 1 randomly selected eye from each of 555 normal adults (8 countries, 6 continents), measuring the thinnest point location, central pachymetry (thinnest point, pupillary center, and apex), and the apex-thinnest point difference. International differences were assessed by 1-way analysis of variance. Normative thresholds were defined by 2- and 3-SD gates or Tukey method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The thinnest point averaged 0.44 mm temporal and 0.29 mm inferior to the apex. Individual thinnest points located more than 1.0 mm inferior represented fewer than 0.5% of normal corneas (>0.76 mm in the US subgroup). The mean thinnest-point pachymetry was 536 μm overall, and values less than 469 or 435 μm (-2 or -3 SD, respectively) would be expected in less than 2.5% or 0.15% of normal corneas, respectively. The thinnest-point pachymetry averaged 2 to 3 μm thinner than apical (range, 0-32 μm). Differences of greater than 8.5 μm would be expected in less than 0.5% of normal corneas overall.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  International differences were largely clinically insignificant. Nevertheless, it remains preferable to establish racial/geographic-specific normative values. We defined preliminary generalized and country-specific thresholds useful to the corneal refractive surgeon for identifying potentially abnormal corneas based on common pachymetric parameters, particularly the thinnest point by tomography.
authors.affiliation: From the *Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; †Instituto de Olhos Renato Ambrósio, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; ‡Grewal Eye Institute, Chandigarh, India; §Tianjin Eye Hospital and Eye Institute, Key Laboratory in Vision and Ophthalmology, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin, China; ¶Department of Ophthalmology, University of Alexandria, Alexandria, Egypt; ||Department of Ophthalmology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; **Department of Ophthalmology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan; and ††AaM Augenklinik Marienplatz Munich, Munich; ‡‡Center for Vision Science, Ruhr University Eye Hospital, Bochum; and §§OCULUS Optikgeraete GmbH, Wetzlar, Germany.
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Joan T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Renato
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ambrósio
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Belin
authors.forename: Satinder P S
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Grewal
authors.forename: Wang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Mohamed Shafik
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shaheen
authors.forename: Charlotte A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Jordan
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: McGhee
authors.forename: Naoyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Tobias H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Neuhann
authors.forename: H Burkhard
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Dick
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steinmueller