Impact of neurotrophic keratopathy on quality of life: a utility analysis

Neurotrophic keratopathy (NK) is a rare degenerative disease leading to impaired corneal sensation and function. In this study, we measured the utility values associated with NK to better understand the impact of this condition on patients.

Cross-sectional study.

Twenty-two patients with NK at a university-based outpatient ophthalmology clinic completed a survey.

Patients were asked questions regarding their eye condition, overall health, and completed the Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25). Health utility was calculated using the time trade-off (TTO) and standard gamble (SG) methods with anchor points of perfect eye function (pf) and perfect health (ph).

Four different utility values for NK were calculated, ranging from 0.69 to 0.86, depending on the measurement method (TTO or SG) and anchor point (pf or ph). Utility values were not significantly associated with age, gender, comorbidities, visual acuity, or severity of NK disease. Role difficulty and dependence (based on a subset of the VFQ-25) were associated with lower utility.

Our study found that NK has a significant impact on quality of life, independent of vision loss. As treatment options for NK are expanding and increasing in efficacy, this study can provide a foundation for future cost-effectiveness analyses on the various treatments for NK.