Objective:
To review pediatric reference data for corneal thickness, curvature, and diameter, including demographic variation, geographic representation, and measurement methods.
Approach:
- Review design: Scoping review of studies published from January 2000 through December 2024; 28 studies involving more than 46,000 healthy children younger than 18 years met inclusion criteria.
- Measures assessed: The review examined central corneal thickness, curvature, and diameter, as well as differences by age, sex, race or ethnicity, and geographic location.
Key Findings:
- Central corneal thickness was assessed in 25 studies involving more than 28,000 children; findings on age-related and sex-related differences were inconsistent.
- Studies generally reported thinner corneas among Black children than White children, while findings across other ethnic groups varied.
- Corneal curvature and diameter were generally relatively stable in childhood, but some studies reported age- or sex-related differences.
- Only one study examined racial or ethnic differences in curvature, and none evaluated such differences in corneal diameter.
- Seventeen of 28 studies were conducted in Asia. African populations were represented by two studies with comparatively small samples.
- Measurement technologies and reporting practices varied, limiting direct comparisons across studies.
Interpretation:
The authors stated that demographic, methodological, and geographic factors influence interpretation of pediatric corneal measurements and that current evidence has limited generalizability across diverse populations.
Limitations:
- Most studies were cross-sectional, limiting assessment of corneal development over time.
- Differences in measurement technologies, age classifications, demographic reporting, and eye laterality complicated comparisons.
- Geographic representation was uneven, and the review included only English-language publications.
Conclusion:
The authors called for standardized measurement and reporting procedures and longitudinal studies involving more geographically and ethnically diverse pediatric populations.
Sources:
This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.
