Alterations in corneal sensitivity according to age and gender in healthy population in Turkey.

Clinical relevance: Knowing the changes in corneal sensitivity according to age and gender is important for the correct evaluation of pathologies.

Background: The aim of this work was to analyse variability of corneal sensitivity according to age and gender in the healthy population in Turkey.

Methods: Healthy volunteers between the ages of 20 and 84, who applied to outpatient clinic due to routine examination, were included. Exclusion criteria were any ocular diseases other than refractive error, any systemic disease, contact lens use, chronic ocular and systemic drug use, and previous ocular surgery. Central and 4 quadrants (superior, inferior, nasal, temporal) corneal sensitivity measurements were performed with a Cochet-Bonnet esthesiometer (Luneau Ophthalmology, France). The patients were divided into 5 groups according to their ages (Group 1:20-29, Group 2:30-39, Group 3:40-49, Group 4:50-59, Group 5 ≥ 60). The data were evaluated in terms of groups and gender.

Results: The right eyes of 324 volunteers were included. The mean age was 44.31 ± 15.65 (20-84) and the female/male ratio was 165/159. The mean central, superior, inferior, nasal, and temporal sensitivities were 50.15 ± 9.7,48.62 ± 10.3,48.59 ± 10.3,47.73 ± 10.2,47.71 ± 10.3 mm, respectively. Sensitivities in all quadrants decreased significantly depending on age (p = 0.001 for all, central, superior, inferior, nasal and temporal correlation coefficients,r = -0.783, -0.791, -0.789, -0.760, -0.775, respectively). The decrease accelerated in Group 4 and 5. Gender-related changes were detected as significant in central and temporal quadrants (p = 0.038, p = 0.019). When sensitivity according to gender was evaluated within each decade, significant difference was detected in Group 2 and 4 (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Corneal sensitivity decreases with age, most significantly in 5^th and 6^th decades. Sensitivity differs between genders in central and temporal quadrants. Geographic location, gender, and ethnicity may affect sensitivity values. The present study defines normal values in aTurkish population and may guide the evaluation of pathologies that impair corneal sensitivity.