Long-term change in central corneal thickness from a glaucoma perspective

AIM: To investigate the longitudinal change in central corneal thickness (CCT) over 3 years in patients with glaucoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The Chennai Glaucoma Follow-up Study, an offshoot of the Chennai Glaucoma Study, was designed to evaluate the progression of glaucoma. A cohort of participants in the Chennai Glaucoma Study that were suffering from glaucoma or were at a higher risk for glaucoma underwent comprehensive ophthalmic evaluation at the base hospital at 6-month intervals during the years 2004 to 2007. The CCT (average of 10 readings) was measured between 11 am and 1 pm on any given day using an ultrasonic pachymeter. Patients with a history of ocular surgery, corneal disease and usage of topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor were excluded. No patient was a contact lens wearer. RESULTS: One hundred and ninety-six patients (84 male, 112 female) met the inclusion criteria. We analyzed data from the right eye. The mean age of the patients was 59.97 ± 9.06 years. Fifty-nine (30.1%) of the patients were diabetic. The mean change in CCT (CCT at first patient visit – CCT at last patient visit) was 3.46 ± 7.63 μm. The mean change in CCT was 0.75 μm per year (R(2) = 0.00). Age, gender, intraocular pressure at the first patient visit and diabetic status had no significant influence on the magnitude of change in CCT. CONCLUSION: A carefully obtained CCT reading by a trained examiner need not be repeated for at least 3 years as long as the ocular and systemic factors known to affect the measurement of CCT are constant.