Ultrasound biomicroscopic measurement of development of anterior chamber angle

Abstract

Aim - To establish normative values for the anterior segment in normal infants and children in relation to age. Methods - Anterior segments were measured in 46 normal infants and children (21 males and 25 females, aged from 1 to 60 months (mean 17.09 (SD 16.99) months)), by use of ultrasound biomicroscopy. Results - Anterior chamber depth, trabecular-iris angle, angle opening (trabecular-iris) distances at 250 and 500 μm from the scleral spur, and the thickness of the thickest part of the iris were 1724-3473 μm (2505 (SD 480) μm), 15.35-44.79°(28.74 (7.46)°), 116-367 μm (247.4 (65.9) μm), 166-509 μm (349.5 (87.1) μm), and 249-579 μm (434.6 (74.6) μm), respectively. All factors in this study showed a significant correlation with logarithm of age (r = 0.937, p = 0.0001; r = 0.867, p = 0.0001; r = 0.929, p = 0.0001; r = 0.917, p = 0.0001; r = 0.748, p = 0.0001), and significantly correlated with each other. Conclusions - Ultrasound biomicroscopy is a powerful tool for obtaining precise images and measurement of the development of the anterior segment in infants and children. Normative values were established for anterior segment dimensions in relation to age. Anterior chamber depth, trabecular-iris angle, angle opening distances at 250 and 500 μm from the scleral spur, and iris thickness showed linear increases in relation to logarithm of age.