Corneal Epithelial Thickness Mapping in Healthy Population Corneas Using MS-39 Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography.

Purpose: The corneal epithelium is the outermost layer of the cornea. It plays a vital role in both normal and pathological conditions of the eye surface and serves as a protective layer. This study aimed to evaluate corneal epithelial thickness (ET) and create a normative database of corneal ET for pediatric and adult age groups using MS-39 AS-OCT.

Patients and methods: This is a cross-sectional multi-center study conducted among the Saudi population.

Results: A total of 268 eyes of 268 patients were analyzed (male 50.7% vs female 49.3%). 53.8% were pediatric age group. Higher mean values of central, paracentral, and peripheral were associated with the adult age group except for superior paracentral, temporal peripheral, and nasal peripheral. Male patients had higher mean values of central, paracentral, and peripheral in each quadrant, except for inferior peripheral. There was a significant correlation between inferior, superior, nasal, and temporal in both paracentral and peripheral. No significant correlations were observed between the spherical equivalent and epithelial thickness map.

Conclusion: The study found sex differences, with females generally having lower ET values than males, and older age having higher values than children.