Thyroid gland dysfunction and keratoconus

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Endocrinology
• Corneal Diseases

Background:

• The relationship between keratoconus and thyroid gland dysfunction (TGD) is debated.
• This study investigated keratoconus prevalence in treatment-naive TGD patients versus controls.
• The study also explored TGD's impact on corneal topography and tomography.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of keratoconus in patients with laboratory-confirmed, treatment-naive TGD.
• To compare keratoconus frequency with age- and sex-matched healthy controls.
• To investigate the association between TGD and corneal topographic/tomographic parameters.

Main Methods:

• A multicenter, cross-sectional study involving TGD patients and healthy controls.
• Comprehensive ocular examinations and corneal tomography were performed.
• Serum thyroid hormone levels (TSH, FT4, FT3) were measured.

Main Results:

• The TGD group showed a significantly higher frequency of keratoconus (7.5%) compared to controls (0.5%).
• Eyes in the TGD group exhibited lower corneal thickness (CTT) and higher maximum simulated keratometry (Kmax) and back elevation (BE) values.
• Abnormal corneal topographic patterns were more frequent in the TGD group.

Conclusions:

• A higher prevalence of keratoconus was observed in individuals with TGD, particularly females.
• Thyroid gland dysfunction is linked to significant alterations in corneal topographic and tomographic parameters.
• These findings suggest a potential association between TGD and keratoconus, warranting further investigation.