Central corneal thickness of Caucasians, Chinese, Hispanics, Filipinos, African Americans, and Japanese in a glaucoma clinic

To characterize the central corneal thickness (CCT) of Asian (Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino), Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American patients in a multiethnic glaucoma practice. Retrospective study (chart review). Glaucomatous (n = 600) and nonglaucomatous (n = 201) eyes of 801 patients examined in a San Francisco glaucoma clinic from June 2002 to April 2004 who met inclusion criteria were included in the study. The 6 racial (ethnic) groups represented in the study were Caucasian (n = 186, 23.2%), Chinese (n = 157, 19.6%), Japanese (n = 121, 15.1%), Hispanic (n = 116, 14.5%), Filipino (n = 114, 14.2%), and African American (n = 107, 13.4%). Central corneal thickness was measured by means of ultrasound pachymetry in Asian (Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino), Caucasian, Hispanic, and African American participants with glaucomatous and normal eyes. The relationship between CCT and race was investigated using multivariate regression analyses, controlling for confounders. One eye of each of 801 participants was included for analysis. Correlation of mean CCT with race, glaucoma diagnosis, age, spherical equivalent, gender, and history of ocular surgery. The mean CCT of all participants was 542.9 μm. Central corneal thicknesses of Chinese (555.6 μm), Caucasian (550.4 μm), Filipino (550.6 μm), and Hispanic (548.1 μm) participants did not significantly differ. The CCT of Japanese participants (531.7 μm) was significantly less than that ofCaucasians, Chinese, Filipinos, and Hispanics (all, P≤0.001) and greater than that of African Americans ( P = 0.03). African Americans had a CCT (521.0.0 μm) less than that of all races ( P≤0.05). Glaucoma suspects and patients with normal tension glaucoma (NTG), primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), pseudoexfoliation glaucoma (PEX), and chronic angle-closure glaucoma (CACG) had corneas significantly thinner than those of normal participants ( P≤0.004), whereas ocular hypertensives had significantly thicker corneas ( P