Ocular Dominance and Its Association With Central Corneal Thickness: An Observational Study in Central India

Abstract

Background The aim of this study is to determine ocular dominance and its association with central corneal thickness (CCT). These two parameters are of great significance in clinical practice; identifying the dominant eye helps in planning cataract surgeries, treatment of presbyopia, monovision correction, etc., and assessing the CCT helps in early diagnosis and management of keratoconus, glaucoma, contact lens-related complications, and dry eye. Methods A cross-sectional study that involves patients and volunteers who have come for a checkup to the ophthalmology department of the college hospital. Ninety patients were examined for this study within two months. The hole-in-card test is performed to determine the ocular dominance in people with normal and healthy eyes without any pathologies except refractive errors. Specular microscopy through a non-contact modality will be done to assess the thickness of the central cornea in both eyes. Statistical analysis was done using the paired t-test to compare the patient's eyes and the chi-square test, which helps us associate ocular dominance and CCT. Results Right eye dominance was seen in the majority of the participants (72.91%), whereas left eye dominance was seen in comparatively fewer participants (27.08%). The CCT of the dominant eye is found to be 520.40 ± 29.83 μm and that of the non-dominant eye is 524.40 ± 29.37 μm. A lower CCT in the dominant eye was seen in 83.33% of the subjects; 14.58% of them had a higher CCT in the dominant eye and 2.08% had the same CCT in both eyes. Conclusion From the observational study that has been made, the majority of the population shows right eye dominance. The CCT is relatively thinner in the dominant eye. About 80-85% of the examined people showed a thinner cornea in the dominant eye. But we cannot generalize that the eye with a lesser corneal thickness will be the dominant eye in all the cases, as a few cases have shown dominance in the eye with a thicker cornea.