European Journal of Anatomy

Official Journal of The Spanish Society of Anatomy
Cover Volume 9 - Number 3
Eur J Anat, 9 (3): 143-148 (2005)

Morphometric differences between normal and dry eyes

Sanchis-Gimeno J.A., Herrera M., Alonso L., Rahhal M.S., Martinez Soriano F.

Department of Anatomy and Human Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Valencia, Spain; Unit of Human Anatomy, Embryology and Biomechanics, Department of Optics, University of Alicante, Spain; Rahhal Ophthalmology Clinic, Valencia, Spain; Apartado de correos 15038, 46080 Valencia, Spain

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to quantify the anatomic differences in central corneal thickness, anterior ocular chamber depth, lens thickness, vitreous chamber depth, and ocular axial length between normal and dry-eyes. Central corneal thickness (CCT), ocular anterior chamber depth (ACD), lens thickness (LT), vitreous chamber depth (VCD) and ocular axial length (AL) were measured in 70 normal subjects and in 58 subjects with dry-eyes. Central corneal thickness was measured with scanning-slit corneal topography while ocular anterior chamber depth, lens thickness, vitreous chamber depth and ocular axial length were measured with applanation ultrasound biometry. Central corneal thickness was 0.558±0.30 mm and 0.532±0.34 mm in normal and dry-eyes, respectively (p<0.001). Mean ocular anterior chamber depth was 3.17±0.23 mm and 2.93±0.35 mm in normal and dry-eyes, respectively (p=0.002). Lens thickness was 4.49±0.42 mm in the dry-eye patients and 4.71±0.32 mm in the normal subjects (p=0.022). Vitreous chamber depth was 16.75±1.75 mm and 15.54±1.34 mm in normal and dry-eyes, respectively (p=0.001). Ocular axial length was 24.58±1.73 in normal subjects and 23.07±1.48 in dry-eye subjects (p<0.001). We conclude that quantitative ocular anatomy values are lower in dry-eye subjects.

Keywords: adult, anterior eye chamber depth, article, biometry, Bowman membrane, comparative anatomy, controlled study, cornea thickness, dry eye, eye axis length, human, human experiment, keratometry, lens, major clinical study, morphometrics, quantitative analysis, vitreous body

European Journal of anatomy
ISSN 2340-311X (Online)