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RESEARCH PRODUCT

Biometric characterization of the anterior segment in a Sahrawi pediatric population

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Purpose: To examine the biometric characteristics of the anterior segment in a group of Sahrawi children. Methods: A total of 66 children (33 male and 33 female, aged between 8 and 13 years) participated in this prospective, observational study. The non-invasive Pentacam Scheimpflug imaging device was used to measure corneal thickness (CT) (at the thinnest corneal point), mean anterior (Km Ant) and posterior (Km Post) corneal radii, corneal volume (CVol), anterior chamber depth (ACD) and anterior chamber volume (ACVol). The contribution of age and gender to the various parameters was investigated. Results: CT values of the present group of Sahrawi children were 521.70 ± 3.92 m. Boys had thicker corneas than girls, although this difference was not significant. Strong correlations were revealed between CT and CVol (r = 0.835; p < 0.001), as well as between anterior and posterior corneal radii (r = 0.916; p < 0.001) and between ACD and ACVol (r = 0.845; p < 0.001). Weaker, but significant correlations were encountered between several other pairs of ocular parameters. Age and gender were found to influence ACD and ACVol values. Conclusions: Different measurement procedures and ethnic background preclude any direct comparison of the present results with published data, although CT in Sahrawi children was found to be lower than previously reported in children of similar age but different ethnicity. © 2012 Spanish General Council of Optometry. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.