Corneal Variables in Children: A Literature Review.

Abstract

Background: Corneal variables such as thickness, curvature and diameter are important for ocular assessments in children. Despite this, there is limited normative data relevant to children for these corneal variables. Developmental changes, together with potential demographic differences, complicate the direct extrapolation of adult reference values to paediatric populations.

Purpose: To map literature related to corneal thickness, curvature, and diameter in healthy children.

Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted across different electronic databases to identify articles published from January 2000 to December 2024 reporting on these corneal variables in healthy children aged less than 18 years.

Results: Twenty-eight articles with data from more than 46,000 healthy children were included. The majority of articles originated from Asia. Central corneal thickness was the most commonly reported corneal variable compared with corneal curvature and diameter. Overall, the articles showed that the corneal variables showed lesser variation in early childhood and highlighted age, gender, ethnicity, and geographical variations.

Conclusion: Currently available literature on corneal variables shows a predominant focus on central corneal thickness measurements, with limited research on corneal curvature and diameter. The currently available literature was predominantly from studies conducted on Asian populations, with an underrepresentation of African and other geographical regions. As corneal variables differ by geographical location, this skewed distribution limits the applicability of current normative values to diverse paediatric populations. Additionally, the differences in study methodologies and reporting limit the integration of the normative data available in current literature, thus limiting their clinical applicability when diagnosing and managing paediatric ocular conditions. Future research would benefit from a more standardised approach and a comprehensive assessment of corneal variables in diverse paediatric populations.