Scheimpflug Imaging in Operated Primary Congenital Glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To report the corneal tomographic characteristics of eyes that had surgery for controlled primary congenital glaucoma (PCG) and to compare it with an age-matched group of normal children.

METHODS

The study was conducted on 44 (24 right) eyes of 27 children (18 boys) who had surgery for PCG and 60 (31 right) eyes of 32 age-matched control children (9 boys). Children with PCG had a thorough ophthalmic examination and the demographic and medical and surgical history was retrieved from the patients' clinical chart records. After clinical examination, the study participants underwent Scheimpflug imaging using the Pentacam (Oculus Optikgeräte GmbH).

RESULTS

Both study and control children were approximately 9 years of age at the time of the study (P = .39). The eyes with PCG had a spherical equivalent mean ± standard deviation of -4.70 ± 3.50 diopters (D). Eyes with PCG demonstrated a cylinder of -2.80 ± 2.10 D, flatter corneas than control eyes (P = .0002 and .0012 for flat and steep keratometry, respectively), and statistically significantly higher astigmatism (P = .011) and thinner corneas, both at pupil center (P < .001) and thinnest location (P < .001). There was a statistically significant negative correlation between the postoperative axial length (at the time of the scan) and each of the Scheimpflug parameters flat keratometry (P = .002), steep keratometry (P = .003), pachymetry at pupil center (P = .01), and pachymetry at thinnest location (P = .009).

CONCLUSIONS

The eyes of patients with PCG have thinner, flatter, and more astigmatic corneas than the eyes of age-matched control children. [J Pediatr Ophthalmol Strabismus. 2021;58(4):218-223.].