Doctor reports on study
of corneal thickness
A Honolulu ophthalmologist found there is no difference in corneal thickness between Caucasians and Japanese Americans in a Hawaii study.
The thickness of corneas is important in the screening for glaucoma, a condition that affects one in 1,000 people and can cause loss of vision, said Dr. John Olkowski, chief surgeon and director of EyeSight Hawaii Vision Institute.
Olkowski said eye pressure, a test for glaucoma, can measure incorrectly high when the cornea is thicker, while the reverse applies to thinner corneas.
African Americans have thinner corneas than Caucasians, according to a major university study, which changed the way glaucoma is managed in those ethnic groups.
Olkowski reported his findings at a recent American Society of Cataract & Refractive Surgeons Symposium in San Francisco.
Olkowski and his staff will perform free cornea thickness measurements through June at their eye center, 3660 Waialae Ave. in Kaimuki. Call 735-1935 for an appointment.
