Abstract
Purpose:
1) To identify a metric using Pentacam densitometry analysis of corneal haze following collagen crosslinking (CXL) that correlates with visual function.
Methods:
The Pentacam device (Oculus, Germany) recorded corneal densitometry in 10 eyes of 10 patients that had undergone CXL for keratoconus or post LASIK ectasia measured preoperatively and at 6 months after CXL. Retrospective analysis was performed using the Pentacam software to determine corneal stromal haze. Changes in corneal haze were compared to changes in visual function outcomes including best corrected visual acuity, manifest refraction, and keratometry. The effect of CXL on the relationship between pupil diameter and corneal haze was also investigated.
Results:
Preliminary results indicate that improvements in best corrected visual acuity, refraction, and /or mean keratometry correlate with decreased corneal haze. Patients who did not have improved visual function showed increased densitometric values postoperatively. Following CXL, corneal haze as measured by the Pentacam software appears to decrease across all pupil diameters regardless of visual function outcome. Further analysis will determine level of statistical significance.
Conclusions:
The Pentacam densitometric analysis of corneas preoperatively and at 6 months following collagen crosslinking produces a metric that suggests a correlation with visual function. Corneal haze and its effects on visual function are a function of pupil diameter.
Keywords: 479 cornea: clinical science •
550 imaging/image analysis: clinical