Change in Ocular Dimensions with Age in Patients with Emmetropia

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: We evaluated changes in ocular dimensions according to age in patients with emmetropia. METHODS: We examined the refraction, corneal curvature, and biometry in 150 subjects from 5 to 75 years old with spherical equivalent refractions under +/-0.75 diopter (D). Ocular dimensions were measured by A-scan ultrasonography and keratometry. We analysed the distribution and change of ocular dimensions according to age (1 0~19-year-old group, 2 20~39-year-old group, 3 40~59-year-old group, 4 60~79-year-old group). RESULTS: The values for corneal radius (CR), vitreous chamber depth (VCD) and axial length (AL) were highest in group 2. Lens thickness (LT) increased with increasing age, whereas anterior chamber depth (ACD)decreased with increasing age (P<0.05). CR, VCD, AL (P<0.05) and ACD (P=0.10) seem to have higher values in males, while LT seems to have a higher value in females (P=0.06). CONCLUSIONS: Axial length increases with increasing age in subjects aged 0 to 39 years in emmetropia. In subjects aged 40 years or older, axial length becomes smaller with age. In each age group compensational changes to achieve emmetropia according to AL change are shown in ocular dimensions like CR, VCD, ACD, LT.