Efficacy of morpho-geometrical analysis of the corneal surfaces in keratoconus disease according to moderate visual limitation

Abstract

The cornea is a complex hemispheric structure, made of collagen fibres that provide it a homogenous and stable geometry. During keratoconus disease, a loss of tenacity takes place in the collagen fibres that form the corneal structure, producing an alteration of its geometry, this is, a change of its curvature, and therefore, a loss of visual quality of patients. The geometric characterization of the hemispheric structure by means of biometric parameters is a very solid technique of diagnosis, based in a virtual 3D model, which has already been validated for several degrees of severity of keratoconus pathology. In this prospective comparative study, 93 corneas (50 healthy subjects and 43 patients with keratoconus with moderate visual limitation) were geometrically modelled. The results obtained in this work suggest that the best predictive biometric parameters are anterior corneal surface area and posterior apex deviation, and that the strongest correlation is produced between sagittal plane apex area in minimum thickness point and sagittal plane apex area. The studied biometric parameters have shown significant differences between groups. Therefore, the analysis of the biometric parameters that register the geometric decompensation that locally appear in a corneal region, as a response to the asymmetry produced during the development of keratoconus disease with a moderate visual impairment, is a new approach that may lead to a better understanding of the disease with this degree of optical limitation.