Comparison of central corneal thickness measurements between noncontact specular microscopy and ultrasound pachymetry

Purpose: We compared and analyzed central corneal thickness (CCT) measurements according to the corneal thickness obtained with noncontact specular microscopy (NCSM) and ultrasound pachymetry (USP). Methods: CCT was measured in the order of NCSM and USP by a single optometrist in 120 eyes of 120 healthy subjects. The measurements were compared between the devices and the measurement agreements and correlations between the devices were analyzed. To determine if the measurements differed depending on the thickness of the cornea, the patients were divided into three tertile groups from the thinnest patient by CCT measurement using USP, and then the differences in CCT measured by the two devices were analyzed. Results: The CCT measurements using NCSM and USP were 548.25 ± 4.64 μm and 533.09 ± 35.96 μm, respectively. NCSM measurements were found to be thicker, showing statistically significant differences between the measurements (p < 0.001). The two examinations showed a high degree of correlation (r = 0.878; p < 0.01). In the three groups, the differences in CCT measurements between NCSM and USP were 12.93 ± 21.88 μm, 16.85 ± 15.89 μm, and 15.70 ± 20.46 μm, respectively, but the differences between the three groups were not statistically significant (p = 0.655). Conclusions: Our results show that although the differences in CCT measurements using NCSM and USP were consistent regardless of the corneal thickness, the CCT measurements by NCSM and USP were highly correlated.