| Summary: | Purpose: The purpose of this study is to demonstrate and compare the use of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in measuring sagittal depth (SD) and in describing the corneo–scleral junctions with the use of scleral angles, in a population of keratoconics (KC) and of normals (normal).
Methods: Fourteen participants (one eye randomly selected) in the normal group and fourteen eyes of nine participants in the keratoconus group were enrolled in the study. Orbscan II (B&L, Rochester) topography was performed to establish eligibility, steep and flat K readings (axes) and HVID. Measurements of the sagittal depth of the cornea and the scleral angles along a particular chord diameter (their HVID and 15 mm) both flat and steep were taken with the use of the on screen measurement tools from the profile view of the cornea of the Visante™ OCT (Carl Zeiss, Dublin, CA).
Results: Data were taken from 14 eyes (11 Females; 3 Males) in the normal group and 14 eyes (5 females; 9 males) in the KC group where either or both eyes were measured. The study participants had a mean age of 33 ± 7yrs (normal) and 40 ± 14yrs (KC). The groups were matched according to HVID: 11.77 ± 0.41 mm (normal) and 11.75 ± 0.35 mm (KC), (p = 0.880). The steep K readings were 53.74 ± 5.98D for the keratoconus eyes as compared to 43.77 ± 1.35D for the control (p < 0.0001). The sagittal depths (±SD) of the keratoconic cornea were significantly different than the normal corneae at their HVID and at 15 mm in the steep meridian only (3.41 ± 0.88 mm versus 2.42 ± 0.09 mm, p = 0.001 and 3.93 ± 0.25 mm versus 3.70 ± 0.16 mm, p = 0.009, respectively). In addition, when the two groups were compared there was no difference in the scleral angles at the HVID's overall (p = 0.490), but there were differences by location (inferior and temporal, p = 0.003). At the 15 mm chord, there was a significant difference between the groups (p = 0.012) overall, but not by location (p = 0.130).
Conclusions: Measurement of the sagittal depth and the corneal-scleral junction angle in the steepest meridian at either the HVID or at 15 mm are two metrics that significantly differentiate normals from keratoconics.
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