Ultrasonic ocular dimensions and anthropometry in normal and myopic eyes: a case-control study

ABSTRACT

Background

We compared ultrasonic ocular axial length and vitreous chamber depth, and physical anthropometry in normal and myopic African adults due to sparse related data in this setting.

Research design and methods

This was a hospital-based, case-control study in which 175 myopes and 175 emmetropes, recruited by convenience sampling, at General Hospital Epe, Lagos, had their anthropometry and refractive status determined; and ocular axial length and vitreous chamber depth measured with A- and B-mode ocular ultrasonography. Data was analyzed using appropriate inferential statistics and level of significance set at 0.05.

Results

Mean ocular axial length in normal, mild, moderate and severe myopia was 22.45mm, 23.54mm, 23.79mm, and 25.56mm while mean vitreous chamber depth in normal, mild, moderate, and severe myopia was 15.45mm, 16.63mm, 16.84mm, and 18.68mm, respectively. Males had significantly longer axial length and vitreous chamber depth than females. Correlation between weight, height and BMI and refractive status among myopes was insignificant. There was consistency between A- and B-mode ultrasonography ocular axial length and vitreous chamber measurements with a Cronbach’s Alpha of 0.888 and 0.842, respectively (p<0.001).

Conclusion

Ocular axial length and vitreous chamber depth increased with the severity of myopia with no correlation of anthropometry with refractive status among African myopes.

KEYWORDS:

• Myopia
• LASUTH
• ocular ultrasound
• eye
• refraction

Declaration of interests

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Reviewer disclosures

Peer reviewers on this manuscript have no relevant financial or other relationships to disclose.

Author contributions

FO Jinadu, M Balagun and TA Ottun were involved in the concept and design of the study, the definition of intellectual content, literature search, manuscript editing and manuscript review. IA Jolaoso was involved in the concept and design of the study, the definition of intellectual content, literature search, data acquisition and data and statistical analysis. UO Olumodeji and AM Olumodeji was involved in definition of intellectual content, literature search, data interpretation, manuscript preparation, manuscript editing and manuscript review.

Data availability statement

The study data is available on request from the authors.

Ethics approval

The study adhered to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research and Ethics Committee of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Lagos, Nigeria with study protocol number LREC06/10/888. Written informed consent was obtained from all the study participants after the nature of the study had been duly explained to them.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.