Central corneal thickness changes and horizontal corneal diameter in premature infants

Abstract

To report observations of horizontal corneal diameter (HCD) and central corneal thickness (CCT) changes in premature infants with stable optic disc cupping and intraocular pressures (IOPs). The HCD and CCT at term serve as a baseline for premature infants.Sixty-three premature infants were enrolled in a prospective case series. HCD, CCT, and IOP were measured. RetCam images of the optic discs were used to evaluate the cup-disc ratio (CDR) and read by an independent masked observer. Data were collected at between preterm (32–36 weeks) and again at term (37–41 weeks) postconceptual age. Left eye measurements were used for statistical analysis. Left eye findings were combined to construct predictive models for HCD and CCT.The mean HCD was 9.1 mm (standard deviation [SD] = 0.7 mm) at preterm and 10.0 mm (SD = 0.52 mm) at term. The mean CCT preterm was 618.8 (SD = 72.9) μm and at term 563.9 (SD = 50.7) μm, respectively. The average preterm CDR was 0.31 and at maturity was 0.33. Average IOP of preterm and term was 13.1 and 14.11 mm Hg, respectively. There was significant linear correlation between HCD with the postmenstrual age (r = 0.40, P < .01) and the head circumference (r = 0.33, P < .05). Predictive models were constructed for HCD (R2 = 0.52, 0.2 mm/wk) and CCT (R2 = 0.23, −11.4 μm/wk) with postconceptual ages.The HCD and CCT variation did not affect IOP reading over time. CCT was not correlated with birth parameters and decreased as the infant reached term. Corneal diameter correlated with gestational age at birth and head circumference.

A Case Report on Premature Twins: Primary Congenital Glaucoma or Large Cupping Disks Mimicking Primary Congenital Glaucoma?

“…Six papers reported that the C/D ratio is larger in premature infants than in full-term infants [ 4 , 5 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 15 ]. Three papers suggested that the C/D ratio is similar in preterm babies and full-term babies [ 3 , 6 , 8 ]. Therefore, the idea that premature infants have larger cupping disks was predominant.…”

“…Only optic disk appearance looks unlike normal baby in our cases. We searched previous studies in PubMed using the keywords "preterm infant" and "cup disk ratio" or "large cupping disk" or "large cup disk" and found 14 papers published between 1978 and 2018 [3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16]. Six papers reported that the C/D ratio is larger in premature infants than in full-term infants [4,5,7,9,10,15].…”

Ocular morphology development and function in children with congenital hypothyroidism diagnosed by neonatal screening

“…Searching for a possible difference in ocular morphology and visual acuity in the CH group, we have found lower values in ACD, ACV, and HCD in the eutopic gland subgroup compared to patients with the ectopic gland. The lower gestational age of eutopic subgroup can show these results: in fact, although the literature contains several conflicting reports [15,16], according to some researches [17][18][19][20] birth parameters (gestational age, birth weight, birth length, and birth head circumference) have a lasting effect on ocular dimensions in adolescence and adulthood. Finally, the higher frequency of refractive errors in our athyreotic subgroup could have a certain importance but the small numerosity of study population has not allowed us to deduce a reliable conclusion.…”

Measurement and Analysis of Central Corneal Thickness at Different Postnatal Stages in Chinese Premature Infants

“…In general, premature infants were born with immature organs and tissues in their physiological conditions. CCT in premature infants and full-term newborns is significantly thicker compared to adult corneal thickness [ 6 ]. Among infants, CCT in premature infants was also found to be thicker than in full terms [ 7 – 9 ].…”

“…Few studies discussed the CCT development in premature infants during the neonatal period. Choo et al examined the premature infants at 2 different points, reported a significant decrease in CCT between 1 st at “premature” (PMA between 32 and 36 weeks) and 2 nd at “term” (PMA between 37 and 41 weeks) [ 6 ]. Another study also suggested a decrease in CCT from 794 to 559 µ m between 24 and 32 w of GA in 56 premature infants [ 10 ].…”