Screening for Keratoconus in a High-Risk Adolescent Population

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Public Health
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Keratoconus (KC) is a progressive corneal ectasia.
• Early detection and intervention are crucial for managing KC.
• Adolescent populations, particularly in specific ethnicities, may have varying KC prevalence rates.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of keratoconus (KC) in a predominantly Emirati adolescent population.
• To assess the feasibility of using a dual Scheimpflug and Placido imaging device for KC screening.
• To establish baseline data for potential public health interventions in the UAE.

Main Methods:

• Corneal tomography was performed on adolescent subjects (10-19 years) in Abu Dhabi using the Galilei device.
• KC and KC suspect classifications were based on objective indices and subjective analysis by cornea specialists.
• Inter-observer agreement was evaluated using the kappa statistic.

Main Results:

• Out of 588 analyzed eyes from 339 subjects, the prevalence of KC was 2.7% (95% CI [1.2%, 5.0%]).
• The prevalence of KC suspects was 19.8% (95% CI [15.7%, 24.4%]).
• A high inter-observer agreement (kappa = 0.84) was observed among specialists classifying KC status.

Conclusions:

• Keratoconus is highly prevalent in the Emirati adolescent population studied.
• Screening secondary school students for KC using dual Scheimpflug and Placido imaging is a feasible approach.
• This screening strategy may aid in the early detection and timely intervention for KC in this demographic.