Assessment of Epithelial and Central Corneal Thickness in patients with Open Angle Glaucoma using Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography | ||
| Benha Medical Journal | ||
| Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 23 November 2025 PDF (707.1 K) | ||
| Document Type: Original Article | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/bmfj.2025.422655.2658 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Essam E. Shohaeb1; Ayser A. Fayed1; Gehad H. Youssef1; Walaa S. Mohamed* 2 | ||
| 1Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine – Benha University | ||
| 2M.B.B.Ch., of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Medicine – Zagazig University | ||
| Abstract | ||
| Background: Glaucoma is a major cause of irreversible blindness, with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) being the majority common type. Central and epithelial corneal thickness are key factors in assessing the disease, as they influence intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement and progression. Aim: To evaluate epithelial and central corneal thickness in POAG patients utilizing anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT) and to determine their relation to ocular surface changes. Patients and Methods: This cross-sectional case-control research involved 70 eyes with POAG and 30 healthy eyes as controls. All participants had full ophthalmic examination involving visual acuity testing, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, IOP measurement by Goldmann applanation tonometry, tear break-up time (TBUT), fundus examination, and AS-OCT imaging. Corneal epithelial thickness (CET) and CCT were analyzed, and subgroup comparison was performed based on number of medications used. Results: CCT was significantly lower in POAG eyes than controls (521.5 ± 31.5 µm vs. 543.1 ± 31.2 µm, p=0.002). Epithelial thickness showed no significant difference between groups (51.7 ± 4.4 µm vs. 51.2 ± 3.8 µm, p=0.62). TBUT was shorter in POAG patients (6.5 ± 1.9 s) compared with controls (9.7 ± 2.2 s, p below 0.001). Subgroup analysis showed insignificant influence of medication number on CCT, CET, or TBUT. A weak positive correlation was found among CCT and cup-to-disc ratio (r equal to 0.297, p equal to 0.03). Conclusion: POAG is associated with thinner corneas and impaired tear film stability, while epithelial thickness remains unaffected. Evaluating these parameters may enhance glaucoma management. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| glaucoma; OCT; corneal thickness; epithelial thickness; tear film | ||
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