Corneoscleral junction angle in healthy eyes assessed objectively

Abstract

Purpose: To introduce a fully objective method to measure corneoscleral junction (CSJ) angle and evaluate the CSJ angle in healthy eyes.

Methods: Corneoscleral topography (Eye Surface Profiler, ESP) was acquired from the right eye of 105 healthy Caucasian subjects, ranging from 18 to 59 years old. From the raw anterior eye height data, the topographic limbus was automatically demarcated in 360 semi-meridians. Further, in limbal location, the CSJ angle was automatically calculated from corneoscleral height data using neighbouring auxiliary points for angle calculation. Additionally, CSJ angle was statistically analysed regionally.

Results: The mean CSJ angle was 177.5 ± 1.1°. There is a mean difference of 7.7 ± 3.7° between the steepest (smallest) and flattest (largest) CSJ angle within the same eye. There exist statistically significant differences between temporal (178.2 ± 1.4°) and nasal (176.4 ± 1.1°) regions (paired t-test, p < 0.001), and between superior (178.1 ± 1.1°) and inferior (177.9 ± 1.1°) regions (p = 0.038). CSJ angle is correlated with limbus position (r = 0.43, p < 0.001).

Conclusion: CSJ angle is rotationally asymmetric. CSJ varies regionally, being the smallest (steepest) in the nasal region. Significant rough changes in CSJ angle were observed for some healthy individuals.

Keywords: Contact lens; Corneoscleral angle; Corneoscleral topography; Profilometry; Scleral lens.