Patient-Reported Outcomes in Keratoconus: A Save Sight Keratoconus Registry Study

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Diseases
• Quality of Life Research

Background:

• Keratoconus is a progressive corneal ectasia affecting vision and quality of life.
• Assessing patient-reported outcomes is crucial for understanding the impact of keratoconus severity.

Purpose of the Study:

• Evaluate quality-of-life (QoL) in keratoconus subgroups using the Keratoconus Outcomes Research Questionnaire (KORQ).
• Determine the relationship between KORQ scores and clinical variables like visual acuity and corneal shape.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional study using prospective, web-based registry data.
• Rasch analysis of KORQ data; comparative analysis using Welch t test and 1-way ANOVA.
• Pearson correlation and multiple regression assessed associations between clinical variables and KORQ scores.

Main Results:

• 542 keratoconus patients completed the KORQ; 28.7% had severe disease (>55 D).
• Female patients and severe keratoconus subgroups reported significantly worse activity limitation (AL) and symptoms (SY) scores.
• Weak correlations were found between KORQ scores and visual acuity/corneal curvature, suggesting a complex interplay.

Conclusions:

• Female sex, contact lens wear, reduced visual acuity, and higher disease severity correlate with worse QoL in keratoconus.
• The relationship between clinical parameters and patient-reported outcomes is complex and warrants further investigation.