ABSTRACT
Keratoconus is a common corneal dystrophy. In order to characterize an Australian experience with this condition, a retrospective study of 295 consecutive cases of keratoconus presenting to one Brisbane ophthalmologist (GR) was performed. The majority (82%) of patients presented before the age of 40 years. Keratoconus was bilateral in 240 (81%) patients and unilateral in 55 (19%) patients. Family history of keratoconus occurred in 43 (15%) patients. A history of atopy and eye rubbing was obtained in 131 (44%) and 30 (10%) patients, respectively. Follow-up after a mean +/- SD of 5 +/- 5 years was obtained in 188 patients. Treatment modalities at follow-up included rigid gas-permeable contact lenses (CL) (48%), PMMA CL (3%), corneal graft (25%), no treatment (13%), spectacles (9%), soft CL (2%). The annual corneal graft rate was 3% per year per eye. With careful contact lens fitting most keratoconus patients will not require a corneal graft.
Subject(s)
Keratoconus , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Australia/epidemiology , Child , Contact Lenses , Corneal Transplantation , Female , Humans , Keratoconus/diagnosis , Keratoconus/epidemiology , Keratoconus/surgery , Keratoplasty, Penetrating , Male , Middle Aged , Visual AcuityABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To determine the incidence of true unilateral keratoconus on the basis of computerised corneal topography in a group with clinically diagnosed unilateral keratoconus. METHODS: Retrospective review of 295 patients with keratoconus identified 51 patients with a provisional diagnosis of unilateral keratoconus. Thirty-one of these patients were re-examined clinically and 21 patients met the criteria for a clinical diagnosis of unilateral keratoconus. Computerised corneal topographic analysis (Tomey TMS) was then performed. RESULTS: In a group of 21 patients with clinically diagnosed unilateral keratoconus, computerised corneal topographic analysis identified 14 (67%) patients with bilateral keratoconus and seven (33%) patients with true unilateral keratoconus. Contact lens wear had no significant influence (P=0.76) on the topographical diagnosis of keratoconus in the clinically unaffected fellow eye. The estimated incidence of true unilateral keratoconus in the cohort of 295 patients was 4%. CONCLUSIONS: Computerised corneal topography improves sensitivity in detection of true unilateral keratoconus.
