[Central corneal thickness in black children examined under general anesthesia at the Yalgado Ouédraogo University Medical Center]

Abstract

Introduction: Central corneal thickness measurement permits an evaluation of physiological and pathological corneal changes. It allows for an intra-ocular pressure correction factor. Our purpose was to determine the mean central corneal thickness in children aged 0 to 72 months and to examine factors that might affect it.

Patients and methods: This was a cross-sectional hospital study which took place from February to December 2019 in the ophthalmology service of YO University Medical Center. It included healthy eyes of children 0-72 months of age examined under general anesthesia. Ultrasonic pachymetry was used to measure the central corneal thickness. The studied variables were age, sex, CCT, corneal diameter, intraocular pressure, and cup/disc ratio.

Results: One hundred and twenty-seven healthy eyes of 78 children 0-72 months of age were included. The mean age was 22 months. The overall mean CCT was 554.01±34.21μm. It was 556.58μm for children from 0 to 36 months of age and 536.12μm for subjects over 36 months. The mean CCT was 555.96±32.96μm in boys and 551.80±36.16μm in girls. In patients who underwent bilateral CCT measurement, the mean CCT was 554.74±35.67μm in the right eye and 549.76±24.08μm in the left eye. Lower IOP's were found in patients with thicker corneas (p=0.00).

Conclusion: The CCT values for black children over 36 months of age was similar to the CCT in black adults.

Keywords: Anesthésie générale; Black; Central corneal thickness; Centre hospitalier universitaire Yalgado Ouédraogo; Child; Enfant; General anesthesia; Mélanoderme; Pachymétrie ultrasonique; Ultrasonic pachymetry; Yalgado Ouédraogo University Medical Center; Épaisseur cornéenne centrale.