Corneal topography of keratoconus

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Imaging
• Refractive Surgery

Background:

• Keratoconus is a progressive corneal ectasia affecting vision.
• Accurate topographic analysis is crucial for understanding keratoconus progression and management.
• Corneal topography provides detailed mapping of corneal curvature and irregularities.

Purpose of the Study:

• To classify topographic alterations in keratoconus using computer-assisted analysis.
• To investigate the symmetry and asymmetry of keratoconus between fellow eyes.
• To identify distinct patterns of corneal steepening in keratoconus patients.

Main Methods:

• Computer-assisted corneal topographic analysis of 63 eyes from 49 keratoconus patients.
• Classification of topographic alterations into peripheral and central cone groups.
• Statistical analysis of symmetry and differences in corneal power and cylinder between eyes.

Main Results:

• Two main topographic patterns identified: peripheral cones (72%) and central cones (approx. 25%).
• Keratoconic alterations exhibited significant non-superimposable mirror-image symmetry (enantiomorphism) between fellow eyes.
• A statistically significant disparity was observed in cone apex power and total cylinder between the two eyes (mean differences 8.2 D and 4.3 D, respectively).

Conclusions:

• Keratoconus presents with distinct peripheral or central topographic patterns.
• Fellow eyes with keratoconus display enantiomorphism but often have significant differences in refractive power.
• Understanding these topographic variations is essential for personalized keratoconus treatment strategies.