Evaluation of Corneal Endothelium in Middle-Aged Keratoconus Eyes

Abstract

Purpose To investigate the corneal endothelial cell parameters and to evaluate the correlation with corneal topographic parameters in middle-aged non-treated keratoconus (KC) patients. Materials and Methods Thirty-six eyes of 21 KC patients in the middle decade (4th-5th) and age-gender matched 36 healthy eyes were included. Topographic parameters [(K1, K2 Sim K, central, thinnest pachymetry, anterior chamber depth (ACD)] were obtained with Galillei double scheimpflug analyzer. Patients were divided into stages according to mean keratometric values ​​(Mild < 45D,Moderate 45-52D, Severe > 52D, Advanced > 62 D). Endothelial cell density (ECD), coefficient of variation (CV) of cell areas and hexagonal cell percentage (HCP) obtained with specular microscopy were recorded.Corneal topography and specular microscopy parameters were compared between KC and healthy eyes. The correlation between topographic and specular microscopy parameters were analyzed. Results The mean age of the patients was 38.6 ± 6.0 and 37.8 ± 4.2 years in the KC and control group, respectively. Age and gender were statistically similar between the groups. ECD was 2772 ± 17 in the KC group and 2741 ± 30 cells / mm2 in the control group, and there was no statistical difference between the groups (p: 0.621). HCP was 63.5 ± 7.2, 67.4 ± 5.2 in KC and healthy eyes, respectively (p: 0.014); CV was 30.7 ± 5.2 and 28.6 ± 3.4, respectively (p: 0.058). Specular microscopy parameters were not statistically different according to KC stage. K1,K2,SimK, CCT, ACD did not correlate with ECD in patients. Conclusion Our results showed that endothelial cell morphology is significantly affected in middle-aged KC patients who have not been treated.