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Corneal thickness a risk factor for glaucoma severity at first visit

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Central corneal thickness measurement is a “powerful” clinical factor in determining glaucoma severity during the initial specialist visit, a study found. General ophthalmologists may find corneal pachymetry useful to identify patients at risk for glaucoma progression, the authors noted.

Leon Herndon, MD, and colleagues at the Duke University Eye Center in Durham, N.C., reviewed the records of 350 eyes of 190 patients after their initial visits to a glaucoma specialist.

Central corneal thickness was significantly lower in blacks, with a mean thickness of 537 µm, than in whites, with a mean thickness of 556 µm. Thinner corneas were significantly associated with worsened scores on the Advanced Glaucoma Intervention Study scale, worsened mean deviation of visual field, increased vertical and horizontal cup-to-disc ratios and increased number of glaucoma medications.

The study is published in Archives of Ophthalmology.