Anterior Scleral Thickness Profile In Keratoconus
Published 2024 - 42nd Congress of the ESCRS
Reference: PO804 | Type: Poster | DOI: 10.82333/rq4w-tz97
Authors: Neus Burguera Giménez 1 , Celeste Briceno-Lopez 1 , María Amparo Díez-Ajenjo 2 , Noemí Burguera 3 , María Josefa Luque-Cobija 4 , María del Carmen García-Domene 4 , Cristina Peris-Martínez* 5
1Anterior Segment and Cornea and External Eye Diseases Unit,Foundation Ophthalmological Medical Hospital (FOM),Valencia,Spain;Department of Optics and Optometry and Vision Science,University of Valencia,Burjassot,Spain, 2Department of Optics and Optometry and Vision Science,University of Valencia,Burjassot,Spain;Anterior Segment and Cornea and External Eye Diseases Unit,Foundation Ophthalmological Medical Hospital (FOM),Valencia,Spain, 3Ophthalmology Department,Q Vision Vithas Virgen del Mar Hospital,Almeria,Spain, 4Department of Optics and Optometry and Vision Science,University of Valencia,Burjassot,Spain, 5Anterior Segment and Cornea and External Eye Diseases Unit,Foundation Ophthalmological Medical Hospital (FOM),Valencia,Spain;Surgery Department, Ophthalmology,University of Valencia,Valencia,Spain
Purpose
Considering that peripheral corneal thinning occurs in keratoconus (KC), the anterior scleral thickness (AST) profile was measured to compare thickness variations in healthy and KC eyes across several meridians.
Setting
Foundation of Medical Ophthalmology (FOM).
Methods
This cross-sectional case–control study comprised 111 eyes of 111 patients: 61 KC eyes and 50 age- and axial-length-matched healthy eyes. The AST was explored at three scleral eccentricities (1, 2, and 3 mm from the scleral spur) across four scleral zones (nasal, temporal, superior, and inferior) by using swept-source optical coherence tomography. The AST variations among eccentricities and scleral regions within and between groups were investigated.
Results
The AST significantly varied with scleral eccentricity in healthy eyes over the temporal meridian, whereas in KC eyes, this variation was observed over the nasal, temporal and inferior meridians (p<.001). The thinnest point in both groups was 2 mm posterior to the scleral spur (p<.001). The sclera was thickest over the inferior region and thinnest over the superior region in both populations (p<.001 for all eccentricities). The AST profiles were not significantly different between groups (p>.05). The inferior-superior thickness asymmetry was statistically different 2 mm posterior to the scleral spur between groups (p=.009), specifically with subclinical KC (p=.03). There is a trend where the asymmetry increases with the KC degree (p>.05)
Conclusions
KC eyes presented significant thickness variations among eccentricities over the paracentral sclera. Although AST profiles did not differ between groups, the inferior–superior asymmetry differences demonstrated scleral changes over the vertical meridian in KC that need further investigation.