Purpose: To compare central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements of healthy individuals obtained with ultrasonic pachymetry (UP) and non-contact specular microscopy (NCSM). Method: In total, 148 eyes of 74 subjects with no ocular or systemic diseases were included in the study. Central corneal thickness measurements of all patients performed with UP and NCCM were compared. Results: A total of 74 subjects (38 females) were included in this study. The mean age was 45.2 ± 18.4 (range 12-85) years. The mean central corneal thickness of all 148 eyes was 546.9 ± 40 μm with UP and 510.8 ± 42 μm with NCSM. The mean central corneal thickness measured with NCSM was 35 μm thinner than that measured with UP (p<0.001). A high degree of agreement was found between the two methods (r=0.942, p<0.001). Conclusions: Our results suggest that NCSM measures thinner corneas than UP and that the correction formula we identified should be applied when comparing between these two devices.

ÖzetAmaç: Katarakt cerrahisi öncesi farklı kornea kalınlığı olan hastalarda ameliyat sonrası değişimleri tespit etmek. Ge reç ve Yön tem: Senil katarakt tanısıyla komplikasyonsuz katarakt cerrahisi geçiren 70 hastanın 90 gözü prospektif olarak çalışma kapsamına alındı. Santral kornea kalınlığı (SKK) ultrasonik pakimetri ölçüldü. Hastalar ameliyat öncesi SKK'ya göre 4 grupta değerlendirildi (450-500 μm, grup-1; 501-550μm, grup-2; 551-600 μm, grup-3; 601-650 μm, grup-4). SKK ameliyat öncesi ve sonrası 1., 2., 4. ve 8. haftalarda ölçüldü. İstatiksel analiz için 'ki-kare testi' ve 'tek yönlü varyans analizi' kullanıldı. So nuç lar: Birinci haftada santral kornea kalınlığındaki artış grup 1'de en yüksek olup 71,3 μm olarak tespit edildi. Grup 2'deki artış 43,4, grup 3'de 35,1, grup 4'de 16,6 μm idi. Tüm gruplarda 1. haftada SKK'da artış anlamlı idi (p<0,05). Grup-1'deki artış grup-3 ve grup-4'teki artıştan anlamlı olarak daha yüksekti (grup-1 ve grup-3; p=0,025, grup-1 ve grup-4; p<0,01). Grup-2'deki artış ise grup-4'teki artıştan anlamlı olarak yüksek bulundu (p=0,032). İkinci haftadan itibaren SKK'da düşüş görüldü. SKK'da ameliyat öncesi değerlere dönüş grup-1'de 8. haftada grup-2 ve grup-3'de 4. haftada, grup-4'te ise 2. haftada tespit edildi. Tar t›fl ma: İnce kornealarda katarakt ameliyat sonrası santral kornea kalınlığındaki artış daha belirgin olup stabilizasyon daha geç gerçekleşmektedir. ( Sum maryPur po se: To evaluate the changes in central corneal thickness (CCT) in patients with different values before cataract surgery. Ma te ri al and Met hod: 90 eyes of 70 patients who had undergone uneventful cataract surgery because of senile cataract were included in this prospective study. The CCT was measured by ultrasound pachymetry. The patients were evaluated in 4 groups according to preoperative CCT values (group 1: 450-500 μm, group 2: 501-550μm, group 3: 551-600μm, and group 4: 601-650μm). The CCT was measured preoperatively and at 1st, 2 nd , 4 th , and 8 th weeks postoperatively. The chi-square test and one-way analysis of variance test were used for statistical analysis. Re sults: The increase in CCT was highest in group 1 determined as 71.3 μm. The increase in group 2 was 43.4, 35.1 in group 3, and 16.6 μm in group 4. The increase in CCT was significant in all groups at week 1 ( p<0.05). The increase in group 1 was statistically significant than in groups 3 and 4 (group 1 and group 3, p=0.025; group 1 and group 4, p<0.01). The increase in group 2 was also statistically significant than in group 4 (p=0.032). The CCT was decreased after the 2 nd week. The recovery of CCT to preoperative values was determined at 8 th week in group 1, 4 th week in groups 2 and 3, and 2 nd week in group 4. Dis cus si on: In thin corneas, the increase in central corneal thickness is more prominent and stabilization occurs in a longer time after cataract surgery. (Turk J Ophthalmol 2013; 43: 145-8)