Corneal biomechanical properties in patients with recurrent anterior uveitis

This study aimed to investigate the biomechanical changes in cornea in patients with recurrent anterior uveitis in comparison to healthy controls.

Eighty-five eyes in 51 patients with inactive recurrent anterior uveitis (25 male, 26 female) and 34 eyes of 34 age-matched control subjects (16 male, 18 female) were included. The following measurements were done and compared between patients and controls: corneal hysteresis, corneal response factor, intraocular pressure, and central corneal thickness.

Patients had significantly lower mean corneal hysteresis (8.57 ± 1.60 versus 10.91 ± 1.41, p = .001) and corneal resistance factor (9.24 ± 1.68 versus 11.56 ± 1.46, p = .001) when compared to controls. Among patients, corneal hysteresis and corneal resistance factor did not correlate with duration of the disease or number of attacks per year.

Anterior uveitis seems to be associated with impaired biomechanical strength of the cornea, although no correlations with the duration of illness or attack frequency could be determined.