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CHANGES IN AXIAL LENGTH AND OTHER DIMENSIONS OF THE EYEBALL WITH INCREASING AGE
Author(s) -
LEIGHTON D. A.,
TOMLINSON A.
Publication year - 1972
Publication title -
acta ophthalmologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.534
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1755-3768
pISSN - 1755-375X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1755-3768.1972.tb06621.x
Subject(s) - cornea , sclera , trabecular meshwork , ophthalmology , glaucoma , age groups , reduction (mathematics) , medicine , astigmatism , circumference , anatomy , optics , mathematics , physics , geometry , sociology , demography
A significant reduction in axial length of the eyeball with increasing age was found when one essentially normal eye of each of 72 persons was studied (p < 0.01). In 53 of these subjects, the horizontal diameter of the cornea also became less with increasing age (p < 0.01). Lens thickness became greater and anterior chamber depth less (p < 0.001 each). “Against‐the‐rule”, rather than “with‐the‐rule” corneal astigmatism was found in old age (p < 0.001). It is suggested that such a reduction in size of cornea and of the whole eyeball with increasing age would contribute to the shallowness of the anterior chamber in old age and in angle‐closure glaucoma. A reduction in the total circumference of the trabecular meshwork available for the escape of aqueous and also a diminution in calibre of the scleral openings concerned in uveo‐scleral bulk flow would also result from a reduction in size of cornea and sclera.