Analysis of age, gender, and refractive error-related changes of the anterior corneal surface parameters using oculus keratograph topography

Abstract

Purpose: To assess refractive error, gender, and age-related differences in corneal topography of a normal population with Oculus Keratograph 4. Methods: This cross-sectional study included a total of 500 normal eyes of 500 individuals with ages ranging from 10 to 70 years. All participants underwent detailed ocular examinations, including visual acuity measurement, slit-lamp examination, and refractive error evaluation. Slit-lamp examination was performed for all individuals to rule out apparent corneal diseases. Corneal topography parameters were assessed using Oculus Keratograph. The data were analyzed based on gender, refractive error, and age groups using independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance. Results: Of a total of 500 participants (age: 29.51 ± 11.53 years) recruited for the present study, 66.4% were female, and 33.6% were male. The mean spherical equivalent of refraction was - 0.98 ± 1.65 diopters. Significant differences were noted in steep keratometry (P = 0.035) and corneal astigmatism (P = 0.014) between genders. Assessment of the data based on refractive error revealed significant differences in an index of vertical asymmetry (P < 0.001), index of height asymmetry (P = 0.003), and index of height decentration (P = 0.011). Considering age groups, significant differences were observed in flat keratometry readings (P < 0.001), mean corneal astigmatism (P = 0.02), minimum radius of curvature (P = 0.037), and apex power (P < 0.001). Conclusions: There was a prominent variation in some topographic parameters based on gender, age, and refractive error. The information on corneal parameters obtained with Oculus Keratograph from normal eyes provides a reference for comparison with diseased corneas.