Down Syndrome Keratopathy; Characterization Of Epithelial Thickness And Corneal Volume In Patients With Down Syndrome.

The objective of our study was to assess the corneal epithelial thickness in patients with Down Syndrome (DS), both in the central 3 mm and in the 4 quadrants at 3-6 mm, as well as the corneal volume at 10 mm and to compare these results with a control group of patients without DS.  

Vissum Alicante (Miranza Group), Miguel Hernández University (UMH)

Data were obtained by performing a topography using the MS-39 (CSO) device, and a high quality image had to be obtained to be included in our sample. Volumetric values were recorded at 10 mm as well as central epitelial thickness at 3 mm and average epithelial thickness at 3-6 mm in the superior, inferior, temporal and nasal quadrants. Finally, we performed statistical analysis, comparing both groups in order to determine differences between them.  

52 eyes were included in the DS group and 62 in the control group. The mean age was  33.51 ± 12.61 and 36.13 ± 9.84 years in the group of patients with DS and in the control group respectively. The mean corneal volume in the DS group was 52.52 mm2 ± 4.64 and  57.40 mm2 ± 3.4 in the control group. The mean central epithelial thickness at 3 mm in the DS group was 59.1 ± 51.3 and 53.8 ± 50.4 , 61.3 ± 4.19 y 56.2 ± 4.96 in the nasal, temporal, inferior and superior quadrants respectively at 3-6 mm while in the control group the epithelial thickness was 52.8 ± 3.08, 53.08 ± 3.61, 53.22 ± 2.90, 54.2 ± 3.17 y 53.22 ± 2.78 for the central, nasal, temporal, inferior and superior quadrants respectively.

Patients with DS presented a smaller corneal volumen versus patients in the control group, with statistically significant differences as well as a greater epithelial thickness in all quadrants. Patients with DS have a different corneal morphology than patients without DS, and different phenotypes of involvement and even a specific keratopathy in DS patients could be established with further studies.