Corneal biomechanics different in glaucoma patients

PARIS — A prospective study showed that corneas of glaucoma patients have significantly different biomechanical properties than normal corneas.
"We found that glaucomatous corneas are more deformable and less elastic than normal corneas," Cédric Schweitzer, MD, said at the meeting of the French Society of Ophthalmology.
A total of 486 eyes of 273 patients were included in the study and divided into five groups: primary open-angle glaucoma (188 eyes), normal-tension glaucoma (65 eyes), ocular hypertension (22 eyes), high myopia (34 eyes) and controls (177 eyes). The study was conducted at the University of Bordeaux.

In all eyes, IOP and pachymetry were measured. Corneal hysteresis (CH) and corneal resistance factor (CRF), the two main indexes of corneal biomechanics, were measured with the Ocular Response Analyzer (Reichert) and compared between groups.
"After adjustment for corneal pachymetry, both CH and CRF were found to be different between the group of patients with glaucoma and those without glaucoma, including the group with ocular hypertension. The corneas of glaucomatous patients had higher CRF and a lower CH than other groups," Dr. Schweitzer said.
The study was granted an award at the meeting.

• Disclosure: Dr. Schweitzer has no direct financial interest in the products discussed in this article, nor is he a paid consultant for any companies mentioned.