Predictive value of enhanced corneal biomechanical parameters for ectasia progression

To determine whether corneal biomechanical parameters can predict ectasia progression.

Retrospective observational study.

The baseline corneal biomechanical parameters of 64 eyes of 41 young patients (age, < 25 years at the first visit) who were diagnosed with keratoconus (KC) or suspected KC at Osaka University Hospital and followed up for more than two years were reviewed. Suspected KC was defined as borderline cases with no definitive clinical or topographical abnormalities in both eyes. The eyes were divided into progressed (P) and non-progressed (NP) groups using the ABCD grading system of Scheimpflug-based tomography. The Scheimpflug-based corneal biomechanical parameters evaluated included deformation amplitude ratio within 2 mm, integrated radius, Ambrósio relational thickness to the horizontal profile, stiffness parameter at the first applanation, stress-strain index, E-staging, and Corvis Biomechanical Index. The optimized tomographic/biomechanical index (TBIv2), Belin/Ambrósio Enhanced Ectasia Deviation (BAD-D), and inferior-superior axial steepening values from Scheimpflug-based tomography were also evaluated.

Twenty-three and 41 eyes were categorized into the P and NP groups, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed that age, BAD-D, and TBIv2 could predict ectasia progression. The specificity, sensitivity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) values for BAD-D combined with age were 0.82, 0.60, and 0.83, respectively, whereas those for TBIv2 combined with age were 0.65, 0.82, and 0.82, respectively.

Baseline TBIv2 is a potentially useful predictive marker for ectasia progression in young patients, whereas baseline BAD-D could be used for establishing a definitive diagnosis.