The study of relationship between ocular biometry and exophthalmometry in adult Malay population of Kelantan, Malaysia

PURPOSE: Exophthalmometry value has great clinical significance in the presence of many orbital diseases which can cause proptosis, including thyroid-associated orbitopathy, tumors, inflammation, head and orbital trauma, and craniofacial abnormalities. Measurements of exophthalmometry and ocular biometry vary between races and countries. This study aimed to present the normative values of exophthalmometry in adult Malays of Kelantan and the relationship between ocular biometry (axial length, corneal curvature, anterior chamber depth, and white-to-white) with the obtained exophthalmometry values. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a hospital-based, cross-sectional study in the Ophthalmology Clinic of Universiti Sains Malaysia, Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, where 267 individuals above 20 years old participated between August 2018 and May 2020. Participants were examined with Hertel exophthalmometer and intraocular lens Master by the same investigator. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package of the Social Science software (version 24.0). Multiple linear regression was used to assess any significant correlation between exophthalmometric value and each biometric variable. RESULTS: In the data collected, the mean exophthalmometric value for the right eye was 13.93 ± 2.221 mm and the left eye was 13.93 ± 2.232 mm. Overall, male had a higher exophthalmometric value than the female with a statistically significant P = 0.001. Axial length was uniquely significant for the amount of variance in the exophthalmometric value with P < 0.001, while corneal curvature, anterior chamber depth, and white-to-white showed no statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Our study had established the normal exophthalmometric value for Malay adults in Kelantan for future clinical reference. The axial length had shown to have a significant positive correlation with exophthalmometric values.