THE IMPACT OF REFRACTIVE ERRORS ON THE ANTERIOR CHAMBER PARAMETERS IN A SAMPLE OF EGYPTIAN INDIVIDUALS

To examine the effect of refractive errors on anterior chamber parameters in an Egyptian individual sample. In addition, we want to see how different levels of refractive error affect the results of Pentacam and optical biometer measurements of the anterior chamber.

Cross sectional comparative observational study

1.  This study involved 80 eyes of 42 Egyptian subjects. Their age ranged from 18 to 41 and had come for a routine examination, prescriptions for glasses, or refractive surgery. People who have a record of previous contact lens wearing, ocular trauma, keratoconus, uveitis, or those who had undergone prior ophthalmic or refractive operations were all excluded from the research.  Best adjusted and unaided visual acuity, and an autorefractometer measurement was performed. After slit lamp examination and in a single session with the same operators, all participants were scanned using NIDEK AL-scan optical biometer and Pentacam oculus for Keratometry (K) measurements, anterior chamber depth (ACD), white to white (WTW) line assessment.

: People with emmetropia had the shallowest anterior chambers, compared to those with myopia. Also, using pentacam there is a positive significant correlation was found between ACD and K2 in high myopia group (r= 0.40, p< 0.001) and negative significant correlation in hypermetropia group (r= -0.69, p < 0.001), however using AL-scan biometer there was negative significant correlation between ACD and K2 in low/moderate myopia group (r= -0.63, p< 0.001), hypermetropia group (r= -0.59, p < 0.001) and emmetropia (r= -0.65, p< 0.001). In each separate group, it was found that ACD, K-readings, and WTW measurements either by Pentacam or by NIDEK AL-scan optical biometer was comparable (p > 0.05).

The findings of this investigation demonstrate the connection between refractive errors and anterior chamber parameters. It should be pointed out that people with emmetropia had the shallowest internal and external anterior chambers, compared to those with myopia with negligible changes between the tested groups and between two devices used in the study (pentacam and AL-scan optical biometer) in terms of Anterior chamber depth (ACD) , K-reading , and White To White line (WTW)