Clinical optometry
Corneal Variables in Children: A Literature Review
By Shabalala N, Sukati V and Rampersad N.
Abstract
Background
Corneal variables such as thickness, curvature and diameter are important for ocular assessments in children. Despite this, there is limited normative data relevant to children for these corneal variables. Developmental changes, together with potential demographic differences, complicate the direct extrapolation of adult reference values to paediatric populations.
Purpose
To map literature related to corneal thickness, curvature, and diameter in healthy children.
Methods
A comprehensive literature search was conducted across different electronic databases to identify articles published from January 2000 to December 2024 reporting on these corneal variables in healthy children aged less than 18 years.
Results
Twenty-eight articles with data from more than 46,000 healthy children were included. The majority of articles originated from Asia. Central corneal thickness was the most commonly reported corneal variable compared with corneal curvature and diameter. Overall, the articles showed that the corneal variables showed lesser variation in early childhood and highlighted age, gender, ethnicity, and geographical variations.