Evaluation Of Ocular Higher-Order Aberrations In First-Degree Relatives Of Patients With Keratoconus

This study aimed to evaluate the corneal higher-order
aberrations (HOAs) in first-degree relatives of patients with
keratoconus (KCN) and compare it with the normal population.

Prospective comparative study

In this prospective comparative study, 210 eyes from
105 family members of 28 patients with KCN and 210 normal eyes
of 105 controls were enrolled. In each eye, corneal topography,
tomography and aberrometry were performed and compared
between the two groups.

This study included 61 female (58.1%) and 44 male participants (41.9%) and 105 age-matched and sex-matched controls
with normal topographic cornea. In 13.33% of first-degree relatives, KCN was diagnosed. Tomographic and irregularity indices in Orbscan were
significantly higher in the relative group.  The most prevalent topographic pattern in the control group was the symmetric bowtie (57.1%), and
in the relative group was the asymmetric bowtie (39.5%).In addition, the root means square of all HOAs, including vertical trefoil, vertical coma, horizontal coma, horizontal trefoil, quadrifoil, and fourth-order spherical aberrations were significantly more significant in the relative group than in controls.

Owing to the high prevalence of undiagnosed KCN susceptibility in family members with KCN, keratorefractive surgery
should be considered cautiously in these individuals. In addition, a comprehensive preoperative examination should be considered to detect subtle topographic and HOAs in these individuals.