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Distribution of pediatric keratoconus by different age and gender groups

Kaili Yang1, Yuwei Gu1, Liyan Xu1

  • 1Henan Provincial People's Hospital, Henan Eye Hospital, Henan Eye Institute, People's Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan University People's Hospital, Zhengzhou, China.

Frontiers in Pediatrics
|August 4, 2022
PubMed

Insights

In China, pediatric keratoconus affects more males, who are diagnosed younger and have more severe disease. This suggests gender influences keratoconus progression in young patients.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Pediatric Ophthalmology
  • Corneal Diseases

Background:

  • Keratoconus is a progressive corneal ectasia affecting young individuals.
  • Understanding demographic variations in pediatric keratoconus is crucial for early detection and management.
  • Previous studies have not fully elucidated gender and age-related differences in Chinese pediatric keratoconus patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the distribution of pediatric keratoconus patients in China.
  • To analyze disease severity based on age and gender groups.
  • To identify potential gender-specific risk factors for advanced keratoconus in pediatric populations.

Main Methods:

  • A cross-sectional study included 266 pediatric patients (446 eyes) diagnosed with keratoconus between January 2019 and January 2022.
  • Clinical findings and keratoconus severity (using topographic keratoconus classification - TKC stage) were recorded.
  • Statistical analyses, including Kruskal-Wallis, chi-squared, and Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel (CMH) tests, were employed to compare parameters between groups.

Main Results:

  • The male to female ratio was 3.8:1, with a median age of 16 years (range 6-17).
  • Male patients were significantly younger than females (P=0.041) and the male to female ratio decreased with age (P for trend=0.011).
  • Male patients exhibited a higher prevalence of advanced keratoconus (TKC stage ≥ 3) (P<0.001), with male gender identified as a risk factor for advanced disease (OR=2.581, P<0.001) after controlling for age.

Conclusions:

  • Pediatric keratoconus in China disproportionately affects males, who are diagnosed at a younger age and present with more advanced disease.
  • Being male is a significant risk factor for advanced keratoconus in pediatric patients, even after accounting for age.
  • Future research should focus on larger, multicenter studies to further validate these findings and explore underlying mechanisms.
Abstract

Keywords:
Chinaage distributiongender distributionkeratoconus severitypediatric keratoconus

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