J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2020 Jul 1;57(4):238-245. doi: 10.3928/01913913-20200506-01.
To quantitatively describe the structural corneal changes from infancy to early adulthood using ultrasound biomicroscopy.
In this prospective study, 168 ultrasound biomicroscopy images were obtained from 24 healthy eyes of 24 patients who consented and enrolled in the Pediatric Anterior Segment Imaging Innovation Study. Their ages ranged from birth to 26 years. An established ultrasound biomicroscopy imaging protocol including seven views of one eye per patient were obtained and measured using ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health). Twelve corneal structural parameters were measured. Means were compared between younger and older groups.
Among the 12 measured structures, 5 demonstrated statistically significant differences (P < .05) between patients younger than 1 year and patients older than 1 year. The mean values for corneal cross-sectional width and length, central corneal thickness, and radii of curvature (anterior and posterior) were significantly different in patients younger than 1 year. Curvature and limbus-to-limbus dimensions changed more dramatically than thickness and tissue density. When comparing the youngest to oldest subgroups, anterior curvature flattened (6.14 to 7.55 radius), posterior curvature flattened (5.53 to 6.72 radius), angle-to-angle distance increased (8.93 to 11.40 mm), and endothelial cross-sectional distance increased (10.63 to 13.61 mm).
Pediatric corneal structures change with age. The most significant changes occur in the first months of life, with additional changes later in childhood. This study further demonstrates the importance of age in pediatric corneal imaging analysis. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2020;57(4):238-245.].
使用超声生物显微镜定量描述从婴儿期到成年早期的结构角膜变化。
在这项前瞻性研究中，从同意并参与小儿前节成像创新研究的 24 名患者的 24 只健康眼中获得了 168 个超声生物显微镜图像。他们的年龄从出生到 26 岁不等。使用 ImageJ 软件（美国国立卫生研究院）获得并测量了包括每位患者一只眼的七个视图的既定超声生物显微镜成像方案。测量了 12 个角膜结构参数。比较了年轻组和年长组之间的平均值。
在所测量的 12 个结构中，有 5 个在年龄小于 1 岁的患者和年龄大于 1 岁的患者之间存在统计学上的显著差异（P<.05）。年龄小于 1 岁的患者的角膜横截面积和长度、中央角膜厚度和曲率半径（前、后）的平均值差异显著。曲率和角膜缘至角膜缘尺寸的变化比厚度和组织密度更为显著。当比较年龄最小到最大的亚组时，前曲率变平（半径从 6.14 变为 7.55），后曲率变平（半径从 5.53 变为 6.72），角距增加（从 8.93 变为 11.40mm），内皮细胞横截面积增加（从 10.63 变为 13.61mm）。
小儿角膜结构随年龄而变化。最大的变化发生在生命的头几个月，随后在儿童期后期还会发生其他变化。本研究进一步证明了年龄在儿科角膜成像分析中的重要性。
