Ocular volume determination in Nigerians

ABSTRACT

To determine the ocular volume in healthy Nigerian eyes. This was a cross-sectional descriptive study of volunteers, staff and students of University of Benin Teaching Hospital [UBTH] and University of Benin, Nigeria. Measurements of the eyeball were taken on the B-mode image using a Medison's Sonoace 1500 ultrasound machine using a 6.5 MHz curvi-linear transducer placed over the closed eyelid. The vertical, horizontal and axial diameters of the eyes of healthy subjects were measured and used to compute the ocular volumes. The age and sex of the subjects were also recorded. Two hundred subjects comprising 125 females [62%] and 75 males [38%] were included in the study. The age range was 3-92 years and overall mean age was 41.48 +/- 23.26 years for both sexes. The mean eyeball volume was slightly larger for males than for females. [Males Right eye=10.64ccm3, Left eye=10.37ccm3; Females Right eye=10.59 ccm[3], Left eye=10.19 ccm[3]]. The difference was not statistically significant [P= 0.229]. The right eyeball volume was higher on the right for both males and females but the difference was not statistically significant [P= 0.198]. There was a gradual increase in eyeball volume with age. This study was able to generate normal eyeball volumes in a sample of Nigerians which hopefully will serve as reference for normal values in Black Africans