The correlation between central corneal thickness and glaucomatous optic nerve damage in a human eye

Abstract

Results from clinical studies suggest a strong correlation between central corneal thickness (CCT) and glaucomatous optic nerve damage. A 3D model is developed to carry out structural investigation of the IOP-induced posterior displacement of the lamina cribrosa (LC), under the influence of CCT. The cornea, the sclera and the LC are assumed to exhibit nonlinear material properties. The numerical results suggest a higher glaucoma progression rate with a lower CCT, which supports the clinical trend. The low influential rate of CCT towards optic nerve damage suggests that CCT may not be a dominant factor in structural injury of the nerve bundles. The results indicate that CCT measurement can be significant in the diagnostic system of glaucoma.