COMPARISON OF EYE AXIAL LENGTH AMONG YOUNG AND OLD HEALTHY VOLUNTEERS MEASURED ON TRANSORBITAL ULTRASOUND

Background: Transorbital ultrasonography is a non-invasive, accessible, and effective imaging modality for ocular biometry, particularly valuable for measuring axial length—the distance from the anterior corneal surface to the inner retinal layer. Accurate axial length measurement is crucial for calculating intraocular lens (IOL) power, especially in cataract surgery. Establishing normative values across age groups is essential for both diagnostic accuracy and surgical outcomes in ophthalmic care. Objective: To compare the axial length of the eye between young and older healthy adult volunteers using transorbital ultrasonography. Methods: This comparative cross-sectional study was conducted from January to April 2025 at Fatima Medical Lab, Rahim Yar Khan. A total of 50 healthy participants (100 eyes), including 27 males (54%) and 23 females (46%), were recruited and divided into two age groups: Group 1 (20–40 years) and Group 2 (41–60 years), with 25 participants in each group. Eye axial length was measured using a 9–12 MHz linear transducer on a GE S6 ultrasound system. Each eye was scanned three times, and the average value was recorded. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 2025. Independent sample t-tests were applied, and p-values <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results: The participants had a mean age of 38.92 ± 11.22 years. The overall mean right eye axial length was 23.05 ± 1.4 mm, and the left eye axial length was 23.06 ± 1.6 mm. In Group 1, the right eye axial length averaged 23.40 ± 1.2 mm compared to 22.80 ± 1.3 mm in Group 2 (p = 0.121). The left eye measurements were 24.09 ± 1.0 mm and 23.90 ± 1.2 mm for Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p = 0.558), indicating no statistically significant difference. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that axial length, as measured by transorbital ultrasonography, shows no significant variation between young and older healthy adults, suggesting it remains relatively stable across adulthood in the absence of ocular or systemic pathology.