Could Corneal Densitometry be a Progression Criterion for Subclinical Keratoconus?

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Corneal Imaging
• Refractive Surgery

Background:

• Subclinical keratoconus (SK) represents an early stage of keratoconus, often undetected by standard clinical methods.
• Early detection and monitoring of SK are crucial for preventing visual impairment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate changes in corneal topometry, tomography, and densitometry in subclinical keratoconus (SK) over a six-month period.
• To identify parameters indicative of SK progression for improved patient monitoring.

Main Methods:

• Corneal data from 25 eyes with SK and 22 control eyes were analyzed using the Pentacam HR imaging system.
• Topographic, tomographic, topometric, and densitometric parameters were assessed at baseline and six-month follow-up.

Main Results:

• Significant changes in posterior elevation, Keratoconus index (KI), index of height asymmetry (IHA), index of height decentration (IHD), and maximum pachymetric progression index (PPImax) were observed in the SK group.
• Corneal densitometry of the posterior layer showed significant changes in the SK group compared to controls.
• Specific corneal zones exhibited significant alterations, highlighting localized changes within the cornea.

Conclusions:

• Posterior elevation, KI, IHA, IHD, and PPImax, along with increased posterior corneal light backscatter, are potential indicators for monitoring SK progression.
• Novel multimeric parameters combining topometric, tomographic, and densitometric data may offer advanced methods for future SK follow-up.