Sedated intraocular pressure and corneal thickness standards in children from birth to 10 years of age

Introduction.- The correlation between intraocular pressure (IOP) and age is poorly studied in children. Thus, the aims of our work are to determine the IOP and central corneal thickness (CCT) standards in children from 0 to 10 years of age and to examine the possible relationship between IOP, CCT and age. Methods.- Three hundred and twenty eyes of 160 healthy subjects were examined between October 2007 and February 2009 under general anesthesia for eye muscle surgery. Three groups were analyzed: 0 to 2 years (n = 30), 2 to 6 years (n = 68) and older than 6-year-old (n = 62). Measurement procedures included Perkins tonometry and contact pachymetry. Results.- The mean IOP increased progressively with age (P < 0.001). Caucasian children had higher IOP than non-Caucasian children (P < 0.05). Gender and side were not significantly associated with IOP. There was no significant difference in CCT between the three groups of age. None of the following parameters were significantly associated with CCT: ethnicity, gender and side. Conclusions.- Correlation between IOP and CCT remains unclear during childhood. False reassurance might result if high IOP measurements are inappropriately adjusted downward in children with increased CCT. (C) 2011 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.