Corneal Curvature and Thickness Development in Premature Infants

De Silva, Silvana MD
Parentin, Fulvio MD
Michieletto, Paola MD
Pensiero, Stefano MD

<p>From the Department of Ophthalmology (SD, FP, SP), I.R.C.C.S. “Burlo Garofolo,” Trieste; and the Clinica Oculistica (PM), University of Udine, Udine, Italy.</p> <p>The authors have no financial or proprietary interest in the materials presented herein.</p> <p>Address correspondence to Stefano Pensiero, MD, Via dell’ Istria 65/1, 34137 Trieste, Italy.</p> <p>Received: January 30, 2009<br /> Accepted: September 02, 2009<br /> Posted Online: March 23, 2010</p>

Journal of Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus 48(1):p 25-29, 2011. | DOI: 10.3928/01913913-20100318-02

<div class="ftSection"><span class="ftInlineSubsectionTitle">Purpose:</span><p>Analysis of postnatal changes in central corneal thickness (CCT) and corneal curvature (CC) in premature infants, their relation, and their possible influence on eye growth and intraocular pressure (IOP) evaluation.</p></div><div class="ftSection"><span class="ftInlineSubsectionTitle">Methods:</span><p>CCT and CC were assessed in both eyes of 56 premature infants, born at 24 to 32 weeks of gestational age (GA), and then two or three times at post-conceptional ages (PCAs) of 28 to 42 weeks.</p></div><div class="ftSection"><span class="ftInlineSubsectionTitle">Results:</span><p>CC changed from 65.83 diopters at 28 weeks of PCA to 49.38 diopters at 42 weeks of PCA. CCT decreased from 794 to 559 μm at the same ages. The reductions of these two corneal parameters seem to be related to each other and begin immediately after birth.</p></div><div class="ftSection"><span class="ftInlineSubsectionTitle">Conclusion:</span><p>In light of the few data available in the literature, these data provide more certainty about the CCT values of premature infants. The importance of CCT and CC fast variations after premature birth concerns both the knowledge of anterior segment development and the correct evaluation of IOP in immature eyes; the influence of these two parameters on the methods of IOP evaluation could be more remarkable at the lowest PCAs.</p></div>