Summary
Purpose
To establish the pattern of change in globe protrusion with advancing age. The findings
contribute to our understanding of orbital ageing, and are useful in the longitudinal
assessment of patients with orbital disease, craniofacial abnormalities and trauma.
Methods
Ocular protrusion from the lateral orbital rim to the corneal apex was measured in
653 Caucasians aged 21–80 years. Healthy subjects only were included in the study
excluding those with ocular or orbital diseases. Measurements were taken using a single
instrument and observer. Data were analysed for both sexes and each eye separately.
Results
The mean exophthalmometry reading in both sexes (318 female and 335 male) was 19±2 mm. Ninety-eight percent of readings between the two eyes were within 1 mm of each other and no subject had greater than 2 mm of asymmetry. In all groups there was a negative linear correlation between ocular
protrusion and age. This correlation was found to be highly statistically significant
in all groups (r=0.56–0.65, p<0.0001). There was no statistically significant difference between change in ocular
protrusion with age between the left and right eye for females or males.
This study demonstrates a strong association between ocular protrusion and age in
a Caucasian population. This association is an almost linear reduction in ocular protrusion
with increasing age between the ages of 31 and 80. Asymmetry in ocular protrusion
between the two eyes does not develop with increasing age.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: September 05, 2006
Accepted:
July 18,
2006
Received:
October 2,
2005
Footnotes
☆This article was presented as a poster in European Society of Oculoplastic and Reconstructive surgery at Crete, Greece in September 2005.
Identification
Copyright
© 2006 British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
