An age-matched comparative study of ocular biometry parameters in cataractous and non-cataractous eyes of children in Ibadan, Nigeria.

Abstract

Objective: This study compared the preoperative ocular biometric parameters of children who had cataract with age-matched healthy children to provide an understanding of a range of typical measurements in indigenous African eyes and aid management of childhood cataract.

Design: Observational, cross-sectional, comparative study of two groups- cases and controls.

Setting: Child eye health tertiary health facility.

Participants: Group A consisted of children aged 2 to 6 years with cataracts, and Group B of age-matched controls. Ocular biometry measurements including keratometry, axial length (AXL), pachymetry (central corneal thickness [CCT]) and tonometry were measured.

Results: Thirty eyes of 24 children were studied in each group. Seventeen (70.8%) children had bilateral cataracts. The mean age of the cataract group (A) was 5.97±2.93 years, while that of the control group (B) was 6.33±2.89 years. The mean preoperative values for the ocular biometric parameters were: Group A AXL= 23.4(±1.4) mm versus Group B AXL= 22.7(±0.9) mm, p= 0.028; Group A CCT= 563.6(±59.7) µm versus Group B CCT= 551.0(±36.4) µm, p= 0.33; and Group A K = 43.4(±2.3) D versus Group B K = 42.5(±1.5) D, p= 0.08. Group A IOP was 13.7(±2.8) mmHg, while Group B IOP was 13.8 (±3.1) mmHg, p =0.93.

Conclusion: There was no statistically significant difference in ocular biometric parameters between children's eyes with and without cataracts except for the axial length.

Funding: None declared.