The evaluation of corneal topographic parameters with corneal and lens densitometers in pediatric keratoconus

The aim of this study was to compare corneal and lens densitometric measurements and corneal topographic parameters of pediatric keratoconus patients and healthy individuals.

The data of the Pentacam^® HR device and the database of our hospital between 2017 and 2019 were analyzed retrospectively. A total of 80 eyes of 47 keratoconus children (one eye of 14 children and two eyes of 33 children) in the Group KC (n = 80); and 74 eyes of 37 children were assessed in healthy children, Group HC (n = 74). The corneal density was measured manually in full-thickness cornea with a diameter of 2 mm in the corneal apex. The lens density (LD) was measured manually in the pupillary area with a diameter of 2 mm throughout the whole central lens thickness in 3D mode.

The corneal density values were significantly higher in Group KC (12.72 ± 1.68, 1.00 ± 0.34, 16.36 ± 2.32, respectively) compared to Group HC (9.81 ± 1.02, 0.61 ± 0.28, 12.42 ± 1.44, respectively) (p < 0.001). LD-mean and LD-sd measurements were lower in Group KC (7.55 ± 0.48, 0.61 ± 0.49, respectively) compared to Group HC (7.75 ± 0.39, 0.81 ± 0.49, respectively) (p = 0.004, p = 0.014, respectively).

It was found that corneal density increased and lens density decreased in pediatric keratoconus patients. These results showed that there may be factors that prevent or delay lens changes in isolated pediatric keratoconus patients.