Comparison of Spectral Domain Optical Coherence Tomography and Ultrasonic Pachymetry for Assessment of Central Corneal Thickness

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine if there is a difference in central corneal thickness measurements in healthy individuals obtained by Cirrus spectral domain optical coherence tomography and ultrasonic pachymetry.

Materials and Methods: The study included 50 healthy consecutively selected individuals without ocular or systemic disease. Central corneal thickness was first measured using optical coherence tomography, and then using ultrasonic pachymetry.

Results: Mean age of the participants was 31.44 years. Mean central corneal thickness measured using spectral domain optical coherence tomography was 531.78 µm, versus 535.15 µm by ultrasonic pachymetry. Mean central corneal thickness measurement obtained by Cirrus spectral domain optical coherence tomography showed statistically significant difference by approximately 3.37 µm than the one obtained by ultrasonic pachymetry (t-test, P < 0.05); however, Bland-Altman analysis proved that there was high concordance between the measurements.

Conclusion: Central corneal thickness measurements obtained by Cirrus spectral domain optical coherence tomography were very similar to those obtained by ultrasonic pachymetry, and as such we think that Cirrus spectral domain optical coherence tomography can be used in our present ophthalmology practice in terms of measuring central corneal thickness.