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OCT reveals changes in birefringence properties of keratoconic corneas

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Changes in the birefringence properties of keratoconic corneas observed using polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography indicate changes in the arrangement of the stroma's collagen fibrils, according to a study by researchers in Austria.

Erich Götzinger and colleagues at Medical University of Vienna used polarization-sensitive OCT to investigate and map the properties of five keratoconic corneas in vitro. They found that, compared with normal corneas, those with keratoconus showed heavily distorted retardation and slow axis orientation patterns.

"Larger areas of increased and decreased retardation can be found in keratoconus corneas, markedly increased retardation (up to more than 50°) can especially be found near the rim of corneal thinning," the authors said.

Additionally, the researchers observed regions where the slow axis markedly changed with depth by up to 50° to 90°, they reported.

"[Polarization-sensitive OCT] may be a useful tool for the study and diagnosis of corneal disease," the authors noted.

The study is published in the August issue of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.