Purpose: To investigate the impact of corneal toricity on the distribution characteristics of corneal epithelial thickness (CET).
Methods: A total of 330 eyes in 330 healthy participants were included in this study. They were divided into two groups based on the median of the corneal toricity value: low-toricity group (corneal toricity < 1.50 diopters) and high-toricity group (corneal toricity ≥ 1.50 diopters). The CET within a 9-mm-diameter area of the central cornea was obtained using optical coherence tomography. The difference of CET value between flat and steep meridians (F-S CET) was defined to evaluate the CET distribution. The F-S CET between the two groups was compared, and the correlations between F-S CET and the corneal toricity were analyzed.
Results: The CET was thinner in the superior-peripheral area than in other areas. A slight intergroup difference was noted in terms of the F-S CET at the paracentral (0.11 ± 0.93 vs 0.32 ± 0.92, P = .038), midperipheral (0.45 ± 0.78 vs 0.77 ± 0.89, P = .001), and peripheral (3.11 ± 2.18 vs 4.10 ± 2.38, P < .001) zone. In each zone, the difference in F-S CET between the two groups was less than 1 μm. As the area expanded, the F-S CET continued to increase (F = 850.303, P < .001). A weak correlation was observed between F-S CET and corneal toricity (r = 0.103 to 0.240); however, this correlation was not significant in the paracentral zone. Covariance analysis demonstrated that F-S CET was slightly correlated with age, refractive state, and intraocular pressure.
Conclusions: The corneal toricity did not significantly affect the distribution of the corneal epithelium in normal corneas. [J Refract Surg. 2023;39(7):482-490.].