Analysis of corneal thickness in dry eye

Objective:To evaluate and compare corneal thinkness in normal and dry eyes.Methods:57 dry eyes (34 cases) and 52 normal eyes (31 cases) were enrolled for this study. The Orbscan corneal thinckness topography system was used for each eye,corneal thickness at nine locations (central, superior, superonasal, nasal, inferonasal, inferior, inferotemporal, temporal, suerotemporal) were examined and compared. The color coded pachymetry were evaluated as well.Results:The corneal thickness, the average thickness of nine sites in the central and midperipheral cornea was significantly decreased in dry eyes compared with that of normal eyes (mean thinning 0.033mm). The center of the cornea was noted to be the thinnest in both groups, (0.549±0.027)mm and (0.510±0.022)mm in normal and dry eyes respectively. In normal group the thickest erea is in the nasal cornea (0.644 ±0.039mm) and in dry eye group that is in the superonasal (0.613±0.037mm). In color coded pachymetry maps, the decentered round pattern was observed in 5.8% and 19.3% of normal and dry eyes,respectively (P=0.035).Conclusion:The corneal thickness was significantly thinner in the dry eyes. The pachymetry color map showed a decentered round pattern in a significantly greater number of dry eye patients.