Profile of central corneal thickness in an adult non-glaucomatous population in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria

Background: Central corneal thickness (CCT) is an important ocular parameter in diagnosing and managing ocular diseases. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the mean CCT of non-glaucomatous adults from southeastern Nigeria and to evaluate the relationship between mean CCT, age, and gender. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted at the eye specialist hospital in Enugu, Southeast Nigeria. Participants with non-glaucomatous eyes from southeastern Nigeria were recruited. CCT was measured with ultrasound pachymetry (Sonomed PacScan plus, model 300AP+) on eligible subjects. The average thickness for each eye was calculated and the relationship between mean CCT, age, and gender was studied. Results: In total, 706 eyes of 353 participants were examined. Approximately 52.7% of the subjects were females. The mean age of participants was 50.29 ± 16.58 years. The mean CCT for right eye (RE) was 527.68 ± 36.88 μm (95% confidence interval [CI]: 523.83–531.55 μm) and 527.45 ± 38.01 μm for left eye (LE) (95% CI: 523.47–531.43 μm). There was a decrease in CCT values with increasing age (P = 0.016, P = 0.05 for RE and left eyes, respectively). Males had a significantly higher CCT compared to females for both right and left eyes (P = 0.004, P = 0.007). Conclusion: CCT values in Enugu Southeast Nigeria are thinner than those reported from other regions within Nigeria and some sub-Saharan African populations, Caucasians, Asians, and Hispanics but it is however comparable with values reported among Cameroonians and African Americans. CCT decreases with age and is thicker in males compared with females.