Macular Choroidal Thickening in Keratoconus Patients: Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Diseases
• Choroidal Imaging

Background:

• Keratoconus (KC) is primarily considered a corneal disease.
• Choroidal thickness (CT) alterations in KC are not well-established.
• Swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) enables detailed choroidal imaging.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate and characterize the choroidal thickness (CT) profile in patients with keratoconus (KC).
• To compare the macular CT profile of KC patients with that of healthy controls.

Main Methods:

• Prospective, cross-sectional study involving 52 KC patients (102 eyes) and 93 healthy controls.
• Macular CT profile assessed using Pentacam and SS-OCT.
• Manual measurement of CT at nine macular locations from retinal pigment epithelium to choroid-sclera junction.

Main Results:

• Mean subfoveal CT was significantly higher in KC patients (383.2 μm) than in controls (280.5 μm) (P < 0.001).
• KC patients exhibited statistically thicker CT at all measured macular locations (P < 0.001).
• CT in KC eyes decreased with age, approaching control values after 45 years, losing statistical significance.

Conclusions:

• Choroidal thickness is significantly increased in keratoconus patients compared to healthy individuals.
• These findings suggest KC may involve multiple ocular structures beyond the cornea.
• Further research into choroidal changes could elucidate KC pathophysiology.