Effects of age on corneal deformation by non-contact tonometry integrated with an ultra-high-speed (UHS) scheimpflug camera

Abstract

Purpose: To correlate parameters derived from corneal deformation resulting from non-contact tonometry integrated with an ultra-high-speed (UHS) Scheimpflug camera (Oculus Corvis ST, Scheimpflug Technology; Wetzlar, Germany) with age in normal eyes from young patients. Methods: Observational, retrospective study involving one eye randomly selected from study participants, totaling 89 healthy eyes. The Scheimpflug images were taken with an ultra-high-speed camera during each measurement by the corvis ST. The deformation amplitude (DA) and other parameters (e.g., pachy apex, intraocular pressure, 1st A time, highest concavity-time, 2nd A time, 1st A Length, 2nd A Length, Wing-Dist, curvature radius highest concavity, curvature radius normal, Vin, Vout) measured by the corvis ST were correlated with age. The Kolmogorov- Smirnov test was applied, and Spearman's correlation test was utilized to evaluate the parameters measured by the Corvis ST and age. Results: Mean patient age was 27.50 ± 6.30 years. The highest concavity-time was the only studied parameter statistically significantly correlated to age (i.e., p=0.04, rs=0.18). All other corvis parameters were not correlated to age. This included DA (p=0.319), intraocular pressure (p=0.854), pachy apex (p=0.066), 1st A time (p=0.959), 2nd A time (p=0.561), 1st Length (0.552), 2nd Length (p=0.697), Wing-Dist (p=0.769), curvature radius HC (p=0.145), curvature radius normal (p=0.513), Vin (p=0.980) and Vout (p=0.592). Conclusions: In healthy eyes, age and pressure or biomechanics as derived from the Corvis ST parameters were not associated with exception to highest concavity- time, i.e., the time from starting until the highest concavity is reached.