Abstract
Clinical relevance: Seasonal variations are known to occur in a range of ocular parameters and in conditions including refractive error and glaucoma. It is of clinical importance to know if seasonal changes also occur in anterior segment angle parameters, given that they can influence these conditions.
Background: The present study aimed to examine the seasonal variations in anterior segment angle parameters in healthy young adults in a geographical region exhibiting distinct seasons in terms of temperature, humidity, and photoperiod.
Methods: Twenty-three emmetropic participants with a mean age of 26.17 ± 4.43 years and 22 myopic participants with a mean age of 27.27 ± 4.47 years completed four seasons of data collection following an initial detailed ophthalmic examination. Anterior segment angle parameters including the angle opening distance, angle recess area, trabecular iris angle, trabecular iris space area, and the anterior chamber depth (ACD) were measured using swept-source anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Intraocular pressure (IOP) and objective refraction were also measured. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the effect of season and refractive error on the various ocular parameters.
Results: A significant main effect of season was found for the majority of anterior segment angle parameters, including the angle opening distance at 500 and 750 µm from the scleral spur (p=0.02, p=0.006, respectively), angle recess area at 500 and 750 µm from the scleral spur (both p=0.002), and trabecular iris space area at 500 and 750 µm from the scleral (p=0.02, p=0.008, respectively). However, measures of ACD and trabecular iris angle did not exhibit statistically significant seasonal variations (all p > 0.05). A significant main effect of season was also found for the changes in IOP (p=0.004) and objective refraction (p<0.001). There was no season by refractive group interaction for any anterior segment angle parameter or IOP (all p > 0.05).
Conclusion: The study demonstrated small but significant seasonal changes in the anterior segment angle parameters, refractive error, and IOP in healthy young adult male participants in which the anterior segment angle dimensions were narrower, the IOP was higher, and the refraction was more myopic during winter.
Background: The present study aimed to examine the seasonal variations in anterior segment angle parameters in healthy young adults in a geographical region exhibiting distinct seasons in terms of temperature, humidity, and photoperiod.
Methods: Twenty-three emmetropic participants with a mean age of 26.17 ± 4.43 years and 22 myopic participants with a mean age of 27.27 ± 4.47 years completed four seasons of data collection following an initial detailed ophthalmic examination. Anterior segment angle parameters including the angle opening distance, angle recess area, trabecular iris angle, trabecular iris space area, and the anterior chamber depth (ACD) were measured using swept-source anterior segment optical coherence tomography (AS-OCT). Intraocular pressure (IOP) and objective refraction were also measured. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the effect of season and refractive error on the various ocular parameters.
Results: A significant main effect of season was found for the majority of anterior segment angle parameters, including the angle opening distance at 500 and 750 µm from the scleral spur (p=0.02, p=0.006, respectively), angle recess area at 500 and 750 µm from the scleral spur (both p=0.002), and trabecular iris space area at 500 and 750 µm from the scleral (p=0.02, p=0.008, respectively). However, measures of ACD and trabecular iris angle did not exhibit statistically significant seasonal variations (all p > 0.05). A significant main effect of season was also found for the changes in IOP (p=0.004) and objective refraction (p<0.001). There was no season by refractive group interaction for any anterior segment angle parameter or IOP (all p > 0.05).
Conclusion: The study demonstrated small but significant seasonal changes in the anterior segment angle parameters, refractive error, and IOP in healthy young adult male participants in which the anterior segment angle dimensions were narrower, the IOP was higher, and the refraction was more myopic during winter.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Clinical and Experimental Optometry |
| Early online date | 26 Sept 2023 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 26 Sept 2023 |
Keywords
- Anterior segment angle
- Intraocular pressure
- Seasonal variations