Zhang Jing, Hu Huiling, Nie Danyao, Sun Liangnan, He Wenling, Liu Xinhua
Department of Ophthalmology, Shenzhen Eye Hospital, Jinan University, Shenzhen Eye Institute, Shenzhen, China.
Quant Imaging Med Surg. 2023 Mar 1;13(3):1631-1641. doi: 10.21037/qims-22-486. Epub 2023 Feb 3.
Objective measurement of corneal densitometry (CD) values can be used to assess corneal transparency and health status, to investigate corneal diseases, and to review anterior segment surgeries. However, literature regarding the association between CD and corneal parameters in healthy adolescent and older individuals is limited. This study investigated age-related changes in Scheimpflug CD values and their correlations with age, sex, and corneal topographic parameters.
This retrospective cross-sectional observational study included 347 eyes from 181 consecutive healthy Chinese participants aged between 5 and 90 years. They were divided into 9 age groups: 5-9, 10-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, and 80-90 years. CD and corneal topographic measurements were measured using the Oculus Pentacam. To evaluate CD, the cornea was divided into 3 layers according to depth (anterior 120 µm, central, and posterior 60 µm), and into 4 annular regions according to diameter (0-2, 2-6, 6-10, and 10-12 mm).
CD across different depths and regions was positively correlated with age (all P values <0.001). Of the 3 layers of corneal thickness, CD was highest in the anterior 120 µm and lowest in the posterior 60 µm (all P values <0.05). Among the 4 annular regions spanning the corneal diameter, the lowest CD values were 6-10, 2-6, and 0-2 mm at 5-29, 30-69, and 70-89 years, respectively. The highest CD values were 10-12 mm at 5-79 years, and 6-10 mm at 80-90 years (all P values <0.05). CD values of 10-12 mm in the anterior 120 µm corneal layer were significantly lower in men than in women (Z=-2.353; P=0.019). CD of 0-10 mm in each layer was not significantly different between sexes (all P values >0.05). Corneal topographic measurements, including flat-axis keratometry (K1), steep-axis keratometry (K2), and spherical aberration, were slightly positively correlated with age and CD (all P values <0.05). However, central corneal thickness (CCT) and thinnest corneal thickness (TCT), and age or CD showed no correlation (all P values >0.05).
With age, CD, keratometry, and spherical aberration gradually increased, while the corneal thickness did not change significantly.
角膜密度测量（CD）值的客观测量可用于评估角膜透明度和健康状况、研究角膜疾病以及评估眼前段手术。然而，关于健康青少年和老年人中CD与角膜参数之间关联的文献有限。本研究调查了基于Scheimpflug技术的CD值随年龄的变化及其与年龄、性别和角膜地形图参数的相关性。
这项回顾性横断面观察性研究纳入了181名年龄在5至90岁之间的连续健康中国参与者的347只眼睛。他们被分为9个年龄组：5 - 9岁、10 - 19岁、20 - 29岁、30 - 39岁、40 - 49岁、50 - 59岁、60 - 69岁、70 - 79岁和80 - 90岁。使用Oculus Pentacam测量CD和角膜地形图。为评估CD，根据深度（前120µm、中央和后60µm）将角膜分为3层，根据直径（0 - 2mm、2 - 6mm、6 - 10mm和10 - 12mm）分为4个环形区域。
不同深度和区域的CD与年龄呈正相关（所有P值<0.001）。在角膜厚度的3层中，前120µm层的CD最高，后60µm层的CD最低（所有P值<0.05）。在跨越角膜直径的4个环形区域中，5 - 29岁、30 - 69岁和70 - 89岁时最低CD值分别为6 - 10mm、2 - 6mm和0 - 2mm。5 - 79岁时最高CD值为10 - 1mm，80 - 90岁时为6 - 10mm（所有P值<0.05）。在前120µm角膜层中，10 - 12mm的CD值男性显著低于女性（Z = -2.353；P = 0.019）。各层0 - 10mm的CD在性别之间无显著差异（所有P值>0.05）。角膜地形图测量，包括平轴角膜曲率（K平）、陡轴角膜曲率（K陡）和球差，与年龄和CD呈轻度正相关（所有P值<0.05）。然而，中央角膜厚度（CCT）和最薄角膜厚度（TCT）与年龄或CD无相关性（所有P值>0.05）。
随着年龄增长，CD、角膜曲率和球差逐渐增加，而角膜厚度无显著变化。
