Epithelial thickness mapping helps determine if keratoconus suspects can undergo LASIK

A surgeon presented his research concerning the epithelial mapping of suspect keratoconus patients to determine their ability to undergo LASIK.

Dan Z. Reinstein, MD, MA, FRCSC, discussed the findings at the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons meeting in Barcelona.

Dr. Reinstein and colleagues screened 1,532 myopic eyes, 9% of which were found to be keratoconus suspects. These 136 eyes underwent Artemis scanning, and 22 were diagnosed with keratoconus. Of the 114 suspect eyes without keratoconus, 90 then underwent LASIK and 24 underwent PRK.

"We've mapped the normal thickness profile of a human epithelium and a keratoconic profile and used this as a method of distinguishing keratoconus. The normal profile of the epithelium is thicker inferiorly, thinner superiorly, and in keratoconus we have a zone of thinning, surrounded by a zone of thickening epithelium, like a doughnut," Dr. Reinstein said.

The researchers followed 77% of the suspected keratoconus eyes to 2 years after surgery. By using a control group of eyes, they found that this method of epithelial thickness mapping to diagnose keratoconus suspects as non-keratoconus was effective. The eyes demonstrated equal stability and refractive outcomes as the control group.