Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the optical-image quality, using two optical devices (an aberrometer and double-pass device), and visual performance (contrast-sensitivity function) in patients with keratitis and after resolution of the disease.
Methods: :
Twenty subjects with keratitis (18 patients with unilateral keratitis and 2 patients with bilateral keratitis) were included in this study. We also took measurements in fellow healthy eyes for comparison. Ten of the patients were studied before and after the resolution of keratitis. Objective data were gathered by aberrometry (ocular high-order, spherical and coma aberrations) and the Strehl ratio, a parameter derived from double-pass device that included information on diffraction, ocular aberrations and scattering. The contrast-sensitivity function (CSF) was also measured for all the patients.
Results: :
Ocular higher-order, spherical and coma aberrations in keratitis eyes were significantly (p<0.05) higher than in healthy fellow eyes. The Strehl ratio indicates a worse optical quality for keratitis eyes being significantly (p<0.05) lower than Strehl ratio for fellow healthy eyes. CSF for keratitis eyes was also significantly lower than in the healthy eyes (p<0.05). Data for keratitis eyes after the resolution of the disease showed a significant increase in the optical function and visual performance but, after treatment, continued to suffer significant (p<0.05) impairment in the optical quality of the affected eyes compared to healthy eyes.
Conclusions: :
Devices to measure optical-image quality and the contrast-sensitivity function enable the characterization of the optical quality and visual performance in patients with keratitis, showing a significant decline in optical quality and visual performance during keratitis and an improvement after the resolution of the pathology.
Keywords: keratitis • aberrations • contrast sensitivity