Analysis of corneal higher-order aberrations in cataract patients with high myopia

To evaluate the differences in corneal higher-order aberrations (HOAs) between cataract patients with high axial myopia and normal cataract patients, and to identify the associated factors.

Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science of the Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Retrospective case series.

Corneal aberrations and axial lengths (ALs) were measured using a rotating Scheimpflug camera (Pentacam) and partial coherence interferometry (IOLMaster) in the high myopia group and the control group.

The study comprised 287 patients (520 eyes). There were 194 eyes in the high myopia group and 326 eyes in the control group. The 5 anterior corneal aberrations-vertical coma, vertical trefoil, horizontal coma, oblique trefoil, and primary spherical aberration-in the high myopia group were 0.07 μm ± 0.38 (SD), -0.11 ± 0.23 μm, 0.07 ± 0.28 μm, -0.02 ± 0.18 μm, and 0.39 ± 0.19 μm, respectively. No negative primary spherical aberrations of the total or anterior corneal surface were found in the high myopia group. Differences between the 2 groups were found in terms of central corneal thickness, astigmatism, primary spherical aberration, vertical coma, and oblique trefoil; however, these differences were not consistent between different age subgroups. Higher-order aberrations were correlated with age. Posterior corneal vertical coma was correlated with AL (Pearson correlation = -0.188, P = .047).

Negative primary spherical aberrations of the anterior or total corneal surface were not found in the high myopia group. Age showed a strong relationship with HOAs. For cataract patients with high myopia, aspheric intraocular lens implantation is recommended.