Corneal thickness, intraocular pressure, and optical corneal diameter in Rocky Mountain Horses with cornea globosa or clinically normal corneas

Objective-To compare corneal thickness, intraocular pressure, and optical c orneal diameter in Rocky Mountain Horses with cornea globosa and those with clinically normal corneas. Animals-129 Rocky Mountain Horses. Procedure-Ultrasonic pachymetry was used to measure corneal thickness. Appl anation tonometry was used to measure intraocular pressure. A Jameson calip er was used to measure optical corneal diameter. Results-The central and temporal peripheral portions of the cornea were sig nificantly thicker in horses with cornea globosa than in horses with clinic ally normal corneas, but corneal thicknesses in the dorsal, ventral, and me dial peripheral portions of the cornea were not significantly different bet ween groups. There were no differences in corneal thickness between male an d female horses or between right and left eyes. However, there was a positi ve correlation between age and corneal thickness. Intraocular pressure was not significantly different between horses with cornea globosa and those wi th clinically normal corneas, or between right and left eyes, or male and f emale horses. Optical corneal diameter for horses with cornea globosa was n ot significantly different from diameter for horses with clinically normal corneas, but optical corneal diameter was positively correlated with age. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance-Cornea globosa in Rocky Mountain Horses is not associated with increased intraocular pressure. Corneal thickness an d optical corneal diameter increase with age in Rocky Mountain Horses.