Normal corneal endothelial morphology of healthy Saudi children aged 7–12 years.

Journal Article

2014

Published in: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265847229_Normal_corneal_endothelial_m…

Masoud, Haya Al-Farhan, Waad Albalawi, Wagiha . 2014

Purpose
The aim of this study was to describe the corneal endothelial morphology of healthy Saudi
children aged 7–12 years and investigate variations on the basis of age and sex.
Participants and methods
In this prospective study of 412 healthy children, one eye was examined of each child. The
endothelial cell density ( ECD), percentage coeffi cient of variation (CV), and cell hexagonality
( Hex) were determined using a noncontact Nidek CEM 530 specular microscope. An unpaired
t-test was used to compare ECD measurements between boys and girls. Descriptive statistics
of endothelial characteristics (ECD, CV, Hex) of the right eyes of the children at each age
were analyzed for the entire sample using Kruskal–Wallis and Spearman’s correlation tests.
Results
The Kruskal–Wallis test showed statistically signifi cant differences in ECD on the basis of age
(P = 0.01) and Spearman’s correlation test detected a weak negative correlation between ECD
and age (−0.20, P = 0.0001). Analysis of the CV did not indicate any statistically signifi cant
differences with age (P = 0.98), but a weak positive correlation was detected between CV and
age (r = 0.02, P = 0.69). No signifi cant differences in Hex were observed at each age (P = 0.10),
but a weak negative correlation was detected between Hex and age (r = −0.14, P = 0.001).
Conclusion
In children, ECD decreases with increasing age whereas CV and Hex do not change signifi cantly
with age.
Keywords:
cell hexagonality, endothelial cell density, Nidek CEM 530 specular microscope, noncontact

• Publication Work Type: article
• Volume Number: 107
• Magazine \ Newspaper: The journal of Egyptian ophthalmology
• Pages: 63-66