Thickness of anterior sclera and corneal layers in systemic sclerosis

Abstract

Purpose: To evaluate the thickness of anterior sclera and corneal layers in patients with systemic sclerosis.

Methods: The present cross-sectional study included 41 patients with systemic sclerosis and 41 age- and gender-matched healthy controls. The study and control groups were compared in terms of the thickness of anterior sclera, corneal epithelium, Bowman's layer, corneal stroma, and Descemet's membrane-endothelium complex. The thickness measurements were obtained using the anterior segment module of spectral-domain optical coherence tomography.

Results: The thickness of anterior sclera, corneal epithelium, Bowman's layer, and Descemet's membrane-endothelium complex were similar in the patients with systemic sclerosis and healthy controls (P > 0.05). Total corneal thickness at the apex was 511.1 ± 33.5 µm in the systemic sclerosis group and 528.4 ± 29.5 µm in the control group (P = 0.015). The corneal stroma was thinner in the systemic sclerosis patients compared to the healthy controls (P = 0.02).

Conclusions: The corneal stroma was thinner in the patients with systemic sclerosis compared to that of healthy controls, while the thickness of the anterior sclera was similar in both groups.

Keywords: Anterior sclera; Corneal layers; Scleroderma; Systemic sclerosis.