Clinical Study
Eye (2006) 20, 460–465. doi:10.1038/sj.eye.6701911; published online 6 May 2005
Central corneal thickness and its relationship to the patient's origin
This article has been accepted for oral presentation at the next American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery symposium, Washington, April 2005.
T Lifshitz1, J Levy1, S Rosen2, N Belfair1 and S Levinger3
- 1Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- 2Department of Epidemiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva, Israel
- 3Enaim Refractive Center, Jerusalem, Israel
Correspondence: J Levy, Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, PO Box 151, Beer-Sheva 84101, Israel. Tel: +972 8 6400379; Fax: +972 8 6403927; E-mail: ljaime@bgu.ac.il
Received 22 February 2005; Accepted 15 March 2005; Published online 6 May 2005.
Abstract
Objectives
To report central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements on patients requesting refractive surgery and to search for possible associations between CCT and patient's origin, age, sex, and preoperative data.
Setting
Department of Ophthalmology, Soroka University Medical Center, and Enaim Refractive Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
Methods
Subjects were patients undergoing preoperative examination at our refractive centre during 2003. Patient's age, sex, preoperative CCT, refractive status, keratometry, and intraocular pressure (IOP) were obtained together with country of origin of the patients and their parents. Main outcome measures were CCT measurements and relationship between CCT and patient's origin and preoperative data.
Results
A total of 204 patients were included in the study. Patients of North African origin had statistically significantly thinner corneas than patients of other origins (518.9
31.5 vs. 545.430.4 
m in the right eye and 518.432.1 vs. 546.329.7 m in the left eye; P<0.00001). Patients of North African origin were significantly older than patients of other origins (P=0.028). No differences were found when comparing for sex, intraocular pressure, refractive status, and keratometry. When multivariate analysis was performed patient's origin was the only independently associated factor associated with CCT.
Conclusions
This is the first work in reporting lower CCT in people of North African origin examined in a refractive surgery centre. Studies from similar populations are needed to confirm our results.
Keywords:
central corneal thickness, patients' origin, North Africa
