Age-related increase in lens thickness and changes in the profile of anterior chamber angle in patients with moderate and high axial hyperopia

Abstract

PURPOSE. To determine the age-related increase in lens thickness (LT), decrease in anterior chamber depth (ACD) and anterior chamber angle (ACA) in patients with short axial length (APA) of the eyes.METHODS. The study included 100 patients (200 eyes) with short AL (23 mm or less), with a transparent lens or with initial stage of age-related cataract: 46 men and 54 women, aged 19 to 85 years. The LT and ACD, ACA parameters were assessed using optical coherence tomography.RESULTS. In the total population of patients, LT increased by an average of 32 μm per year. At the same time, ACD and ACA decreased by an average of 14 µm and 0.3° per year, respectively (p<0.001). In men, LT increased by 35 μm per year, while in women it increased by 29 μm per year, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.071). But the decrease in ACA in men averaged 0.38° per year, while in women it was 0.23° per year, this difference was statistically significant (p=0.003). In addition, the rate of decrease in the ACD in men and women also differed statistically significantly: 18 µm versus 11 µm per year (p=0.018).CONCLUSION. 1. According to our data, the annual increase in LT in eyes with short AL averages 32 μm, the decrease in ACD and ACA is on average 14 μm and 0.3° per year, respectively.2. We did not find a statistically significant gender difference in the rate of annual increase in LT, although the rate of decrease in ACA and ACD in men turned out to be statistically significantly higher.3. The obtained data on the annual changes in such morphometric parameters as LT, ACA and ACD in eyes with short AL are key in the formation of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). It may allow a more precise prediction of the timeline of an increased risk of PACG in each particular case.