Relationship between anterior chamber depth, refractive state, corneal diameter, and axial length

PURPOSE: Phakic intraocular lenses are being used increasingly to correct r efractive errors. We studied the relationship between anterior chamber dept h, refractive state of the eye, spherical equivalent refraction, axial leng th of the globe, corneal diameter, and keratometry. METHODS: Two hundred eleven eyes of 211 patients were enrolled. All eyes un derwent the same protocol with a complete ocular examination that included slit-lamp microscopy, intraocular pressure, objective and subjective refrac tion, calculation of the spherical equivalent refraction, corneal pachymetr y, anterior chamber depth, axial length of the globe, and keratometry. All results were analyzed statistically using SPSS statistics software. Correla tions between different parameters were studied using the Pearson correlati on test. RESULTS: The anterior chamber depth was found to correlate significantly wi th both the average corneal diameter and the axial length of the globe (0.7 44, 0.531, P < .01) and was also found to correlate through an inverse rela tion with both age and spherical equivalent refraction (-0.391, -0.623, P < .01). Corneal thickness and keratometric power did not correlate with the anterior chamber depth. CONCLUSION: Most parameters (axial length, corneal diameter, spherical equi valent refraction, patient age) affected anterior chamber depth and should be considered carefully when planning refractive procedures that employ pha kic intraocular lenses.