Keratoconus Characteristics And Risk Factors In Kingdom Of Bahrain

To describe the demographics and characteristics of keratoconus and to study the risk factors associated with keratoconus in Bahrain

Patients were recruited from two tertiary hospitals for cornea service where patients with keratoconus are referred to from across the Kingdom of Bahrain.

A prospective study included  keratoconus patients at two tertiery hospitals from 2017 until 2025. Age of onset, gender, nationality , education, family history and history of eye allergies were recorded. Moreover, parameters from corneal tomography that indicate the severity of the disease were included , namely corneal pachymetry and maximum keratometry ( K max). Refraction indices were also taken which includes both  the sphere and cylinder. Amsler-Krumeich method was used for keratoconus staging. The severity of keratoconus was correlated with gender, family history of keratoconus, age of onset of keratoconus and presence or history of ocular allergy.

192 patients with keratoconus. Mean age of onset was 18.3 years. Males were 59.9%.  university level were  (52.9%). Family history was positive in 58.3% of patients, and 52.1% reported allergy . No association between gender and keratoconus severity (χ² = 1.286, p = 0.732), nor between family history and severity (χ² = 3.926, p = 0.270). Similarly, allergy status did not correlate with disease stage (χ² = 1.311, p = 0.727). However, education level showed a statistically significant relationship with keratoconus severity (χ² = 21.542, p = 0.001), with university patients more frequently represented in advanced stages. Age of onset showed borderline significance (χ² = 17.076, p = 0.048) with  younger age  associated with more severe disease 

keratoconus in this cohort was most commonly observed in young Bahraini males with onset during adolescence. While family history and allergy were prevalent, they were not significantly associated with disease severity. Educational attainment and early age of onset, however, emerged as important correlates, suggesting that earlier onset and higher education levels may be linked to more advanced keratoconus stages. Further studies are recommended to explore the correlation between keratoconus and the level of education. We recommend keratoconus screening among school children and teenagers in Bahrain.