Corneal biomechanical properties in myopic and emmetropic children

M. Marinescu, D. Dascalescu, M. Constantin, V. Coviltir, M. Burcel, D. Darabus, R. Ciuluvica, D. Stanila, L. Voinea, V. Potop

Department of Ophthalmology, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania. dana.dascalescu@umfcd.ro

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• Ophthalmology
• Pediatrics

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between corneal biomechanics and ocular morphology in myopic children and adolescents.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 170 right eyes, from 170 patients under the age of 18 years, who underwent a complete ophthalmologic examination, gathering the following data: spherical equivalent (SE) (under pharmacological cycloplegia), biomechanical parameters – corneal hysteresis (CH) and corneal resistance factor (CRF), structural parameters – axial length (AL) and central corneal thickness (CCT).

RESULTS: The average age of the patients was 15.26 years old (55.29% girls, 44.70% boys). Out of the 170 eyes, 111 were myopic eyes and 59 were emmetropic. Myopic eyes had a significantly lower CH (p=0.001), CRF (p=0.002) and CCT (p=0.009), and higher AL (p<0.001) than emmetropic eyes. The AL and CCT were significantly higher in myopic males, compared to myopic females (p<0.001 and 0.001). In myopes, we found statistically significant negative correlations between AL and CH (Pearson’s r=-0.218), CRF (r=-0.226) and also SE (r=-0.539), and positive between SE and either CH (r=0.193) or CRF (r=0.201).

CONCLUSIONS: Corneal biomechanical properties are significantly related to myopia parameters in children.

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